The HitsuHina Alphabet
by red-strawberrii
Summary: A, B, C, D, E, F, G... Twenty-six short stories. Three words. Two hearts. One love. -HitsuHina-
1. A Is For Apple

A/N: The idea just kinda kicked me, and it demanded me to write it down. For all I know, this could become the randomest story I write. Hope you all enjoy; I'm only just starting out, and my writing isn't strong. But, I hope that throughout the course of this story I'll be able to improve! Ganbatte strawberrii?

Disclaimer: Yes, I love Hitsugaya and Hinamori, but I do not own them.

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**A is for Apple**

Hitsugaya was sitting at his desk, trying to finish the pile of paperwork that just grew and grew. Matsumoto walked past, holding a slice of watermelon in her hand. She grinned at the silver haired Taichou, waving the fruit around in his face.

"This fruit reminds you of someone, doesn't it Taichou?" Matsumoto said cheekily as she took a big bite out of the slice.

Hitsugaya avoided her gaze.

"I don't know what you are talking about… and start doing some of this paperwork!" He replied hastily.

Hitsugaya hadn't had watermelon in ages. He really missed the taste. He also really missed something else… or more accurately _someone _else.

"Taichou, you should have a quick break" Matsumoto suggested. "Go and get some fruit to eat as well!"

Hitsugaya closed his eyes. Yes, that sounded like a good idea. To get away from all this paperwork for just one moment and have some time to think about _her_. He left Matsumoto alone with the paperwork as he went to the neighboring room. He looked in the fridge but there was no more watermelon left. All he found were two apples. Hitsugaya sighed and grabbed them. It was better than nothing. With the apples in hand, he quickly returned to the room next door and was not amused to find Matsumoto no where in sight.

Hitsugaya glared. She obviously used the whole 'go and get some fruit' act as an excuse to make an opening so she could escape from the paperwork. He sat down and took a bite of an apple. He cringed a little. It was more sour than than what he would've liked, very different from watermelon and it wasn't as soft too. But it was crunchy and had a different taste to it. Hitsugaya took another bite and chewed on it thoughtfully as he pulled out a page of paperwork that had to be finished by tomorrow.

"Shiro-chan? Are you there?"

Hitsugaya stopped chewing. _'Hinamori?'_

The Fuku-Taichou opened the door just a fraction.

"Are you really busy?"

"Nothing I can't manage, you can come in if you want"

Hinamori entered the room without a sound. She stood there just watching Hitsugaya as he continued working on the paperwork. Without looking up from his work, he asked:

"So why did you decide to come here today?"

"Anou…" She started. "I haven't talked to you for a while now, Shiro-chan and I miss your company." By the end of the sentence, her face was slightly pink.

Hitsugaya hadn't noticed though; he still hadn't looked up yet and instead focused all his energy towards his paperwork.

"That was nice of you."

_Crunch_

Another bite was taken from the apple. Hinamori looked at the apple in Hitsugaya's hand and then the other apple on the desk. Hinamori let a small smile grace her lips.

"I didn't know you liked to eat apples, Shiro-chan."

Hitsugaya's face went a bit hot, but he lowered his head to obscure it from her view.

"I wanted to eat watermelon, but Matsumoto took the last slice."

Hinamori's smile grew wider. Maybe her childhood friend wasn't as cold as many people thought he was. It was then when something occurred to Hinamori.

"I only just realized, I've never tried an apple before."

Hitsugaya put down the pen he was writing with and grabbed the other apple and threw it at Hinamori. Then he picked up his pen again.

"Ah- Arigato…" She stuttered out. She stared at the strangely shaped fruit and took a bite. Crispy with a slight edge to it. She didnt hate the taste but she still preferred watermelon more. Hinamori let out a soft laugh.

"This apple tastes like you!"

The Fuku-Taichou didn't really think before the statement came out of her mouth, it had just... come out! It was too late for her to do anything; Hitsugaya had already heard it. He put down his pen, stood up and walked over to Hinamori, staring straight into her dark eyes.

"Tastes like me? How do you know what I taste like?"

Hinamori's face flushed red.

"Anou, I meant that- that the apple is like you, not that it _tastes _like you!" She quickly explained. "Its different from other fruits just like how you are different from other Taichous. And, and--"

A kiss cut Hinamori off. Hitsugaya had had enough of Hinamori's excuses. Hinamori's eyes were wide open; she definitely hadn't expected that. A few seconds later, she closed her eyes, enjoying the kiss while it lasted. All too soon, Hitsugaya broke the kiss.

"So, do you still think I taste like an apple?"

Hinamori was totally shocked. She couldn't say anything. Hitsugaya smirked and walked out of the room.

"I'm going to try and find where that Matsumoto ran off to, I'll see you around Hinamori," he said, with a simple wave of his hand as a farewell.

Hinamori gingerly touched her lips. A smile slowly crept onto her face.

"You know, maybe one day I will like apples more than watermelons," she whispered quietly to herself.

* * *

A/N: Well, thats 'A' out of the way; short and quick :)

Reviews are _always_ loved and if anyone has any great ideas about what 'B' should stand for, please do mention it in a review! Your help is always appreciated!

But anyways, thank you for reading and hopefully I will update this soon... XP

&. strawberrii


	2. B Is For Babysitting

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Very much appreciated :)

Especially thanks to bladescream and Assault Godzilla for your ideas for the letter 'B'. This time around, I felt like doing something a bit random, so I decided to not use your ideas. You never know though… I might end up writing a one-shot with those suggestions in mind in the future.

Anyways… On with the story!

Disclaimer: HitsuHina, Bleach, and everything related to it isn't mine -cries-

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**B is for Babysitting**

Hinamori let out a small sigh, trying her best to make sure no one noticed it. She had finished with all her paperwork and it was normally a time for her to relax. But there was one thing that was different about today. A meeting with the Shinigami Women's Association had just finished and she was walking back to the Fifth Division quarters.

The catch?

She wasn't going back alone.

"MOMMY! What are we going to do when we get back? Ne ne!" Asked a small boy of around five years old, dark brown eyes shining innocently.

"MOMMY, MOMMY!" yelled a girl who was a little younger than the boy, "Can we play hide and seek when we get back?"

"Anou…" said a shy boy around the same age as the girl, "Mommy is very pretty."

Hinamori took a deep breath and answered with a small smile.

"Seiji, we can do whatever you want. Yumiko, yes, we can play hide and seek, but only if Seiji and Keitaro agree to it. Keitaro, thank you very much, that's very sweet of you…"

Then Hinamori took another deep breath before saying:

"And I'm not your 'mommy'; you can just call me 'nee-san'."

"But, we don't want to call you nee-san… we want a mommy!" Said Seiji; his brown eyes looked like they were about to overflow with tears.

Yumiko and Keitaro, who were walking behind Seiji, nodded in agreement. Hinamori noticed that Seiji had the most authority out of the three of them, most likely because he was the eldest. She let out another sigh, making no attempt to hide it. They arrived at the Fifth Division's quarters and she slid the door open. Before Hinamori could even take a step into the room, the three children were already running around, squealing with glee.

"This is the first time I've ever been in a Fuku-Taichou's living quarters!" exclaimed Yumiko.

"Me too," said a quiet Keitaro.

Hinamori closed her eyes, those deep, dark orbs vanishing from the world for just a moment. It was one of those very rare days where you wished you _hadn't _finished all your paperwork. She thought back to the meeting and what happened shortly after it.

_"Hinamori Fuku-Taichou, do you have a lot of paperwork this week?"_

_Hinamori's face lit up with a radiant smile._

_"I finished it all yesterday! It feels like so much weight has been lifted off my shoulders!"_

_"Um, I have a favor to ask then, Hinamori Fuku-Taichou."_

_"Eh? What is it? I'll do my best to help you if I can…"_

Her eyes opened again. She didn't have the heart to turn away the three innocent children. She only wished she could lie down for a short while, but she couldn't; she couldn't risk leaving three young children alone in her quarters. She decided to go and get some food for them. She went to the room next door and grabbed some sweets. She turned around to see the three children right behind her.

"Look Seiji! Mommy's getting us some sweets to eat!" Yumiko said, happily.

"Mommy is the best mommy ever!" came the reply.

"Arigato mommy…" whispered another voice.

A smile appeared on her face. She couldn't help but smile at the small children. They were simply adorable, unique in their own different ways. She split the sweets among them equally and he three of them quickly sat on the ground and started to eat the treats, all of them grinning from ear to ear. Hinamori sank down to the ground too.

'_I won't have any sweets left by the end of this week'_

_

* * *

_

A certain Taichou had just managed to finish the mountain of paperwork that was originally before him. It had never happened before. And it most likely would never happen again.

'_Maybe it was because Matsumoto actually __helped__this time'_

Hitsugaya arranged the completed paperwork into neat piles and organized them into groups to do with what their content was. He put his pen down and rose from his chair; it was time to relax now. He hadn't had 'relaxing time' ever since Matsumoto became his Fuku-Taichou. He had to savor the moment. He slid the door open and walked outside. The air was fresh and sweet. Hitsugaya started to walk, his feet almost unconsciously taking him towards the Fifth Division's quarters.

_

* * *

_

"Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck… GOOSE!"

The room sounded with laughter as Keitaro jumped up and started chasing Yumiko. Yumiko ran around everyone and sat down in Keitaro's spot, just as she was about to be tagged. Keitaro started walking around the circle.

"Duck, duck, goose!"

Keitaro started running as fast as his legs could as the 'goose' he had chosen was Hinamori. Hinamori knew better than to run and tag Keitaro. She ran, but she purposely ran slower than she normally would, _just_ missing Keitaro. Now it was Hinamori's turn. The three little ones laughed loudly in joy, wondering who 'mommy' was going to pick to be the goose.

"Duck, duck, duck--"

The door slid open, revealing a confused Hitsugaya. The laughter stopped. Hinamori froze.

Silence.

Then a cheerful Seiji broke it.

"LOOK! DADDY'S HOME!"

_Awkward_ silence.

Seiji looked at the 'mommy' and then at the 'daddy'. He waved for Keitaro and Yumiko to come over and he whispered to them.

"I think we should leave them alone for a while."

"Why?" came a quiet reply.

Seiji looked at Keitaro in disbelief.

"Haven't you ever heard that when daddy comes home, mommy has to give him a kiss?"

Yumiko's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Then, why aren't they kissing yet?"

Now Seiji looked at Yumiko in disbelief.

"They want _privacy._"

And with that comment, Seiji stood up and walked to the room where Hinamori had gotten the sweets from. Yumiko and Keitaro followed wordlessly, trusting Seiji since he was the eldest.

* * *

Hitsugaya looked at Hinamori with a 'care-to-explain?' look on his face. Hinamori quickly rushed through everything that had happened, explaining how the Shinigami Woman's Association had asked her to baby-sit the three children, how she couldn't refuse, how she desperately needed more sweets, how she had to look after them for a week. She finished it off with:

"And you just happened to come in when we were playing 'duck, duck, goose'." Hinamori's face was tinged with pink.

Hitsugaya had to avoid Hinamori's eyes; if he looked at her, he would have burst out laughing. Hinamori was always a sweet girl, but Hitsugaya had never, _ever _imagined seeing the Fuku-Taichou play 'duck, duck, goose' with three young children.

* * *

"Why. Aren't. They. _Kissing_?!" Yumiko whispered fiercely.

"I- I don't know." answered a totally bewildered Seiji.

"Don't mommy and daddy love each other?" whispered Keitaro.

Three eyes were peering through the tiny gap in door, one eye on top of another.

Seiji, Yumiko and Keitaro pondered the last comment. What if they didn't love each other? They were the only ones who could do something. No; they _had_ to do something.

And so, a simple but evil plan was born. Though through its very simplicity, it would forever change Hitsugaya and Hinamori's lives.

_

* * *

_

"Hitsugaya-kun, don't you have any paperwork today? You usually have so much. You don't come and visit me often, most of the time it's _me_ visiting _you_."

"Finished all the paperwork, Matsumoto actually did some of it this time around" Hitsugaya replied with a small chuckle.

"That's good to know. It's always good to have some time to yours--"

_Crash-Thud-Bump!_

The three children had crawled soundlessly out of the room and pushed Hinamori. Whether it was by pure coincidence, or careful planning by the young children, Hinamori's lips landed straight on Hitsugaya's. Hitsugaya's green, blue eyes clashed with Hinamori's deep, brown ones. The three children cheered loudly but for Hitsugaya and Hinamori the world was silent. There was no one else, but them. For what seemed like eternity, they kissed. And for the first time, the two of them realized how much they needed each other. The kiss ended.

"Yay! Mommy and daddy love each other!" cheered the usually quiet Keitaro.

Hitsugaya turned around and walked towards the door.

"Hey, where are you going daddy?"

Hitsugaya looked over his shoulder at the three children and answered:

"Daddy has to go back to his own division now."

Hinamori smiled at her childhood friend; although he was humoring the children, Hitsugaya saying being a 'daddy' had a pleasant ring to it. The night was uneventful. The children slept soundly and Hinamori was so happily relieved to have some time to rest her eyes. It was early in the morning when a messenger delivered a package and left it outside the door. Hinamori collected it and opened it. The whole package was full of sweets. A note fell out.

'_Hinamori,_

_I had never imagined that I'd actually be able to get rid of piles of candy Ukitake constantly gives me. For that, I thank the children. However, more so than that, I wish to thank the three of them for finally opening my eyes._

_I love you, bed-wetter._

_Hitsugaya'_

Three children crowded around Hinamori as she read the note.

"Daddy loves us too!" They all exclaimed at the same time, as the dove into the sweets.

Hinamori just sat there, in her own world, holding the note to her heart.

* * *

A/N: Haha! Sorry if this chapter was a little bit weird~ I had to let out my inner randomness :) strawberrii loves reviews just as much as Hitsugaya loves Hinamori; press the pretty button please?

Oh, and ideas for 'C' are desperately needed; I'm drawing a blank.

&. strawberrii


	3. C Is For Color

A/N: Wow guys, I have more than 10 reviews for this story now :D Thank you all so much; I'll keep striving to improve my writing!

Thanks to CallMeNicole for pointing out an error I made with Seiji's name in the previous chapter, fixed it now XD

Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed; you guys are awesome and always make my day!

Extra thanks to lioness91, bladescream, sasukefan1 (im so gonna poke you at school) and Snowy Peach Tsubasa for your suggestions on the letter 'C'. It was tough choosing which topic to do, but I managed to make a decision. To the ideas didn't use, they were all really good! I could have written ten stories for the letter 'C' thanks to you guys :D

Disclaimer: Hitsugaya isn't mine. Hinamori isn't mine. Bleach isn't mine. Yeah~

Credits: bladescream and Charcoal . Rose ; as soon as I read the idea you guys both gave, the story was already forming in my mind. Big thank you!

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**C is for Color**

Black.

White.

Hitsugaya closed his eyes and darkness surrounded him. Emptiness took him into its grasp.

Dark, Empty… Black.

His fingers brushed against his Zanpakutou, Hyourinmaru. Its cold surface contacted his skin.

Cold, Ice… White.

It seemed that they were the only colors in his life. The color of the paperwork he always found on his desk. The color of the captain's uniform he wore. The color of the uniform _everyone else_ wore. He opened his eyes. Even the moon, the stars and the night sky were black and white. It was very late at night when something made Hitsugaya get out of bed and walk to this quiet park. Maybe it was time Hitsugaya added some color into his dull life. Maybe the reason why his instinct told him to come out here tonight… was to find that very thing that could turn his life around.

The wind gently rustled the leaves on a nearby tree. A single peach blossom fluttered down and landed perfectly on Hitsugaya's lap. Hitsugaya smiled at it gently. The whole world seemed to be a sea of black, with the white moon and the white stars watching over it. But this single peach blossom defied the order of the world. Through his blue-green eyes, Hitsugaya could see that the blossom was a soft pink color. Though it was tiny, it stood out. Hitsugaya took the tiny blossom and put it on the palm of his hand. It was soft, warm, silky, _vulnerable_.

Another gust of wind blew the peach blossom off his hand and onto the ground. Hitsugaya heard footsteps. His hand reached for Hyourinmaru, flinching at the icy touch of it. The footsteps came closer, but they didn't sound like footsteps of an enemy. They seemed graceful and light. He released his grip on Hyourinmaru ever so slightly. He peered into the black sea but Hitsugaya could see nothing.

"Hi- Hitsugaya-kun?"

Hitsugaya released his grip on his zanpakutou completely; he knew that voice. There was only one person in the whole of Soul Society who would call him that.

"Hinamori, what are you doing out here so late by yourself?"

"I always come out to this park when I can't sleep, it gives me time to think." She answered.

"Why are you here, Hitsugaya-kun?"

The question was bound to come, Hitsugaya had brought it upon himself. He didn't really want to say, but Hinamori was going to wait patiently until she got an answer. Hitsugaya reasoned with himself; if he had to admit his thoughts to anyone, he would want that person to be _her_.

"Don't you think-" He started. He hesitated as he stole a quick glance at the girl. She seemed genuinely interested.

He started again.

"Don't you think our world is so colorless?"

"What do you mean?"

"Everything about this place. It's all the same. Haven't you noticed the dullness of it all Hinamori? The black? The white?"

Hinamori took in every word that was coming out from the Taichou's mouth. Something was definitely troubling him and she wanted to help.

"What are you trying to say, Shiro-chan?"

Hitsugaya shot her a half smile.

"Even my old nickname revolves around the color white."

Hitsugaya raised his head and looked up at the night sky as he continued.

"And don't you think, there should be more color in this world?"

He looked into Hinamori's eyes to find some indication of understanding, some hint that she was actually following the point he was trying to prove; he saw none. All he could see were questions. He pointed at the peach blossom on the ground.

"Is that going to be the only color in our lives, Hinamori?"

"Shiro-chan, are you trying to find color in your life?"

All of a sudden, in Hitsugaya's eyes, Hinamori's brown orbs lit up with new realization. She finally got the message he was trying to convey. Then his heart filled with a feeling of dread.

'_Does she think that I'm thinking too much and that this is just childish?'_

Hinamori took a deep breath and focused on Hitsugaya's face. She said to him in a soft, gentle voice:

"Everyone has color in their lives; it's just that sometimes we don't see it. Some people haven't discovered it yet. It can be hidden, very well hidden. But it is always there."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened only the slightest bit, but Hinamori noticed this change in her childhood friend's expression. She went on:

"Color doesn't always have to be something that isn't black and white. It could just be something that holds deep meaning or an important past for you. Something that may seem dull to others could be just as colorful as a rainbow. It's what seems colorful to you, through your _own_ eyes."

A sweet smile appeared on Hinamori's pale face.

"Do you understand now? Shiro-chan?"

The silver haired Taichou gave a small nod. From just those few sentences, Hitsugaya had realized that Hinamori had changed from the 'bed-wetter Momo' he knew. She was still the same person, but she could use simple words to calm the uncertainties within him.

They stood together in the cold, quiet park, talking about the times they had when they were younger, before they became Taichou and Fuku-Taichou. They thought back to the times when they had shared watermelons together. The two of them talked for a few hours, reminiscing, their soft laughter echoing around Soul Society.

Hinamori yawned; she rubbed her eyes and decided she should return to her quarters. She started walking back but she looked over her shoulder and quickly gave her usually serious friend a big comforting smile before turning her head back.

"I'll see you tomorrow Shiro-chan!"

Something stirred within Hitsugaya. He couldn't put his finger on what it was exactly. One thing was for sure though: It had to do with the Fuku-Taichou before him.

"Hinamori! Wait…"

Hinamori's footsteps stopped as she whirled around and gave Hitsugaya an inquisitive look. Hitsugaya avoided her eyes.

"Um, never mind."

Hinamori wasn't too certain about that, but she didn't question further. Hitsugaya stared at her retreating figure; it had never been so obvious to him before. Just then, realization had slapped him in the face. Hard.

'You_ are the color in my black and white world… Hinamori.'_

* * *

A/N: Another letter finished! Another 23 to go. Haha, sure sound like a long way ne? I have a few ideas already for 'D', but i would still love to hear your ideas as well!

Drop in a quick review? :)

&. strawberrii


	4. D Is For Denial

A/N: And to think I got so excited _last_ chapter when I got over 10 reviews; now The HitsuHina Alphabet has hit the 30 mark! Thank you all so much; your words mean the world to me

Just to clear things up, every letter is a different story. It isn't continuous. Of course, sometimes I won't be able to help slipping in a few references to previous chapters, haha~

Anyways, extra thanks to bladescream, Assault Godzilla, lioness91, lil'shinigami, diamonds are shiny (im gonna poke you at school too, and sorry for making your brain hurt), Jade, CallMeNicole, and sasukefan1 for your suggestions for 'D'; once again it was a tough choice.

Disclaimer: No own. No sue.

Credits: Well, my friend and I talked on the phone and we came up with a hundred ideas for the letter 'D' seeing as she had practically read the whole _dictionary_ out to me. So, I gotta give her a lot of credit for coming up with this idea. Also, credit to lioness91 and sasukefan1 (though technically you already knew what I was going to write about XP) for having the same ideas. Arigato~!

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**D is for Denial**

Matsumoto had quickly slipped out of the Tenth Division office. She made her way carefully to the Sixth Division office, taking care not to attract too much attention. She arrived in due time and tiptoed in. The strawberry-blonde closed her eyes and placed the palms of her hands together as she muttered a quick prayer.

"Please don't let Kuchiki-Taichou be there. Please don't let Kuchiki-Taichou be there. Please don't let Kuchiki-Taichou be there…"

She opened the door the slightest bit. Matsumoto peered into the room. Her inner self cheered loudly; No Byakuya, only Renji. Matsumoto flung the door open widely, ran in and dragged the dumbfounded Fuku-Taichou out of his office.

"Oi!" Came an annoyed voice. "What do you want?"

Matsumoto quickly covered his mouth and took him to a secluded area. Renji's face was blue when Matsumoto finally released him. Her eyes shone with determination. Renji picked up almost instantly that that wasn't a good sign.

"Okay! Today is going to be the day; Hitsugaya-Taichou _will _admit he likes Hinamori Fuku-Taichou."

Renji could only glare.

"So that's why, you almost _killed _me?"

Matsumoto waved her hand apologetically. She then pulled out a map of Sereitei from almost nowhere and laid it out on the ground. Two buildings were highlighted and dotted lines were scrawled everywhere. Renji raised an eyebrow.

"I actually _planned_ this out, so there is no way I am letting you _screw it up._" Matsumoto said.

"Since when did I agree to doing this, may I ask?"

"Ever since Kira refused to."

'_I can see why he would refuse; with Matsumoto's planning skills, not only is there a zero percent success rate, most likely we'll get into some form of trouble.' _Renji thought, miserably.

The male Fuku-Taichou stood up. He had absolutely nothing to say to Matsumoto, except:

"Hitsugaya-Taichou would never admit something like that so easily."

Then Matsumoto grinned.

"I _did_ say that I actually planned this, no?" Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "If the boy won't admit anything, we target the _girl_ instead!"

Renji sweatdropped.

"Since I know Hitsugaya-Taichou well, and you know Hinamori Fuku-Taichou well, we can use our amazing persuasive skills to make them realize their love for each other!" Matsumoto started jumping up and down like a child.

Matsumoto stabbed one of the highlighted points on the map.

"That, is the Fifth Division office. Hinamori should be there. If she's not there, search around the whole of Soul Society until find you her." She commanded.

"While you're doing that, I will be-" She paused to point at the other highlighted place on the map. "Here, nagging Hitsugaya-Taichou!"

She rolled the map back up and gave it to Renji. They arranged that in fifteen minutes, progress or no progress, they would meet up back at the very spot they were standing on right now. Matsumoto ran off towards her office, giggling in glee. Renji unrolled the map. He could only stare in silence at Matsumoto's poor drawing abilities. There was almost no point in the map; Renji knew exactly where the Fifth Division's office was. And even if he _didn't_, he wouldn't be able to tell from Matsumoto's map. He scrunched the piece of paper up.

'_So much for planned…'_

**

* * *

**

"Taaaaaiichooooou!" Matsumoto whined. "Stop denying it! You know you have feelings for her!"

The Taichou before her didn't even blink. He carried on with the paperwork before him. There was no way he was going to respond to something like that.

"Why are you so blind? Can't you see Hinamori Fuku-Taichou loves you?" She tried a different approach. "It hurts me so much every time I see her. I can see the inexpressible feelings she has for you."

Still no reply. Hitsugaya's pen scribbled on, signing all the papers that required signing. The scratching sound of pen on paper was the only thing that could be heard as Matsumoto let her last comment hang in the air.

'_Why won't he just admit it?!'_

Since the new approach wasn't really effective, Matsumoto went back to whining; it was what she was better at.

"It's so obvious you like her! And it's so obvious she likes you too!" She tried again. "Taichou!"

Hitsugaya finally responded.

"I don't like her. She doesn't like me. If this is all you have to say to me, you can go now" he said coldly.

There was no way that Matsumoto was going to give up just yet. She continued to pester her captain.

Meanwhile, another Fuku-Taichou had other problems to deal with.

**

* * *

**

Renji knocked on the door of the Fifth Division's office. The door opened and revealed a tall man with brown hair and glasses. Renji bowed respectfully.

"Aizen-Taichou."

Aizen gave a nod in Renji's direction and asked for the reason why he was here.

"Do you know where Hinamori Fuku-Taichou is?" He asked.

Aizen went through the events of the morning in his head quickly. His face lit up with a small smile when he recalled that Hinamori mentioned going to the Tenth Division.

Renji bowed again quickly and took his leave.

'_Tenth Division?'_

He looked at the clock on the wall and realized it was only two minutes till he had to meet up with Matsumoto at the designated place. But he knew he couldn't go there yet. There was somewhere else he had to go first.

**

* * *

**

Matsumoto glanced at the clock and noticed that it was time for her to leave. She clenched her fists; she hadn't gotten _anything_out of the silver-haired Taichou.

'_And after all my planning too!'_

She walked towards the door and opened it. She gave her Taichou one final look and a last comment before leaving the room.

"I don't understand why you keep denying it; I bet Hinamori Fuku-Taichou would be in tears if she heard this."

Matsumoto exited the room slowly, hoping her words would have provoked some sort of response from the short captain. She took her sweet time to leave the room. Then Hitsugaya opened his mouth.

"If your going to leave, would you just get out already?"

Matsumoto frowned and walked out of the room indignantly.

'_Renji better have made some progress.'_

**

* * *

**

Renji hid behind a tree and waited till Matsumoto left the office and was well out of sight. He crept quietly to the door of the Tenth Division and looked through the tiny gap Matsumoto had left in the door when she departed. It was the smallest of gaps, but he could see. And he could hear.

"Hinamori, I can't feel Matsumoto's reiatsu anymore. You can come out now." The young Taichou smirked.

Hinamori stuck her head out from the room next door and smiled at him. They shared a quick kiss. Hinamori pouted.

"What do you mean 'I don't like her. She doesn't like me'?"

Hitsugaya smiled.

"I only said what was necessary at the time."

Then Hitsugaya looked at Hinamori inquisitively.

"Would you be in tears if you heard that I denied loving you?"

Hinamori grinned.

"Of course I would! I would be balling my eyes out!"

They shared another quick kiss.

"Matsumoto, she's never going to learn." They laughed together.

Hitsugaya hugged Hinamori close.

"I would never forgive myself if I really did make you cry."

Hinamori hugged Hitsugaya tightly.

"You would never do that."

They shared another kiss, this one more longer, more passionate. It didn't take a genius to see it. The two loved each other, more than anything else in the whole world. Nothing could separate the two of them.

Renji could only leave quietly and walk off to the isolated place where he promised he would meet Matsumoto a few minutes ago.

**

* * *

**

"You're late!" exclaimed an impatient Matsumoto.

"Gomen." Renji apologized absentmindedly.

The two of them didn't say anything. Matsumoto waited for Renji to spill everything, but he wasn't forthcoming. She had to take the first step.

"I couldn't get anything out of my stubborn Taichou. He keeps denying it when it's so clear!" Matsumoto was fuming.

"I even tried the 'make-him-feel-guilty' tactic, and he didn't even bat an eye!"

Renji nodded inattentively. Matsumoto stared at him; he didn't look like he was going to say anything about his situation anytime soon. Matsumoto poked him.

"So?! What did Hinamori Fuku-Taichou say?"

"I didn't find her."

Matsumoto had finally exploded.

"_Whaaat_?!"

Renji cringed and explained the situation when he went to the Fifth Division and only found Aizen. He then lied about going around the whole of Sereitei to find her, failing miserably in the end.

"So… in the end, my whole plan was _useless_?" Matsumoto cried out in disbelief.

She shook her head. She pointed at Renji.

"How could you not find her?!"

Renji simply smirked.

"I guess she wasn't in any of the non-highlighted places."

* * *

A/N: Gotta love Renji sometimes... Anyways, I _do_ have ideas for 'E', but I would still love to hear your ideas as well! :)

Please review, reviews are loved very much~ xD And here's hoping I can update this soon!

&. strawberrii


	5. E Is For Eternity

A/N: **_46_** reviews! I love you guys! :) Thank you so much for reading this fanfic and supporting it all this way~

So, arigato to everyone who reviewed and once again, extra thanks to AmbrosiusSchuyler, bladescream, lioness91, Assault Godzilla, ccccookie and sasukefan1 for offering ideas for E.

I knew _someone_****out there would ask about Aizen, so i had an answer prepared ages ago (hm, is that a good thing?). Aizen is there because there had to be someone in the Fifth Division quarters to tell Renji where Hinamori went. Yes, very logical, I know you are all dazzled at my intelligence. ;)

Disclaimer: I would LIKE to own bleach, but I dont

Credits: Due to, uh, popular demand? Haha, no, not really. Due to the fact that MANY of you suggested this idea, I couldnt say no. So credits to AmbrosiusSchuyler, bladescream, lioness91, Assault Godzilla and sasukefan1.

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**E is for Eternity**

The sky was splashed with tiny stars, filling the whole world above with little lights. But these little lights failed to light up the world below without the help of the moon. It was night, the time when people were meant to sleep. But then again, there were times when exceptions were made.

A figure lay on a futon. Two icy, green orbs could be seen in the darkness. Hitsugaya couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, the image of a dark haired girl with a tear-stained face would push its way into his mind. The Taichou closed his eyes slowly, trying one more time to see if he could fall asleep. He failed.

'_Hinamori…'_

Ever since Aizen's betrayal, Hinamori had become an unstable and fragile girl. The boy stared unblinkingly at the ceiling, deep in thought. Hinamori was like a bubble now. No, that wasn't quite correct: she was existing within a bubble now, a bubble that was her shield and defense from the world. A delicate bubble that could burst and disappear forever at anytime; a bubble that was vulnerable. She could so easily just vanish and never return. A wrong movement, a slightly harsher than what one had intended statement; everyone just had to be so careful around her now.

**

* * *

**

Every night, ever since she had woken up from her Aizen-induced sleep, Hinamori went to see another female shinigami before returning to her own quarters and drifting into a deep -but sometimes laced with nightmares- slumber. Most of time she went to Unohana, occasionally she would see Matsumoto. Tonight, Hinamori decided to break her chain of visits. She curled up on her futon, alone and scared.

'_I've been bothering everyone else so much these days…'_

She really wished she could just stand up and walk to Unohana's office and talk to her for a while. And then she remembered Unohana's worn out face from last night. The Taichou of the Fourth Division really deserved a good night's sleep and Hinamori didn't know how she could thank Unohana for all her patience. Hinamori curled up into a tiny little ball.

'_It's cold.'_

**

* * *

**

Hitsugaya stood up. It had finally occurred to him that there was no way he could sleep without seeing Hinamori safe. He decided not to put on his captain's haori and he didn't grab Hyourinmaru either. He crept quietly out of his quarters and made a swift journey to the Fifth Division. When he reached the door to Hinamori's quarters, Hitsugaya noticed that there was still light in her room.

'_She's either still awake or she forgot about the light.'_

Hitsugaya slid the door open soundlessly and was greeted with a sword to his neck. The Taichou's eyes widened in shock. Tobiume rested on his shoulder and as he looked along the zanpakutou, he saw it being held in the shaky hands of Hinamori. A horrible sense of déjà vu washed over them both. When the Fuku-Taichou saw who she was pointing her sword at, she gasped and quickly sheathed it. She looked down at her feet in shame.

"I- I raised my sword to you again, Hitsugaya-kun," she whispered. "Gomen…"

Hitsugaya's eyes returned to their normal state. On-edge. It was another word Hitsugaya had to add to the list of adjectives that described Hinamori now. Usually he would tell her off for referring to him so informally, but today he let it slide. He thought better than to chastise the girl over something so trivial when she was in such a state.

"It's okay."

The two stood facing each other in complete silence. The silence seemed to last for eternity, stretching the distance that was coming in between them. Hitsugaya could almost just picture a bubble around Hinamori, shaking as cold air came in through a gap in the door.

The wordless eye contact they had was broken when Hinamori turned around and lay back down on her futon. She didn't know why, but with Hitsugaya's presence there, she could finally relax. She closed her eyes and sleep threatened to overpower her before she could thank Hitsugaya. Hinamori suddenly felt calm. The shaky surface of the bubble had settled.

Hitsugaya was a completely different story. Even with Hinamori's calm face drifting off to sleep, he felt uncertain. With the action she had demonstrated only minutes ago, he knew Hinamori had changed. The old Hinamori would never point her sword at someone without thinking like she had just then. He looked at the almost sleeping girl in worry. Someone _needed_ to pop that bubble of instability around her in a gentle way. And someone had to do it soon.

The white-haired Taichou walked over and sat down next to Hinamori's futon. Hinamori opened one eye to look at her friend in curiosity. Then she smiled. All of a sudden, the dark-eyed Fuku-Taichou didn't feel cold anymore. She drifted off to sleep with a small smile on her face and Hitsugaya couldn't help but smile back at her sleeping figure.

But Hitsugaya didn't feel tired one little bit. He just sat there cross-legged, watching over her protectively. The wind howled outside, making trees and branches rustle noisily. It gave the room a cold, icy feel to it. A frown appeared on the sweet girl's face. She wiggled around and tried to find a position she was comfortable in. Hinamori finally came to a rest, with her head on Hitsugaya's knee. His face flushed red. He looked at her soft face.

"Maybe I'm the one who has to find a way to free her from it," he said softly.

Hinamori squeezed her eyes together tightly before opening her mouth and asking:

"Free who from what?"

Hitsugaya sat up straight in surprise; Hinamori wasn't fully asleep yet. A thought ran through his head at lightning speed. He looked at the girl.

'_Does that mean she purposely__put her head on my knee?'_

But her eyes were only half opened, and it didn't seem like she planned anything. She looked at him sleepily. She could have fallen asleep right there and then, but she wanted an answer first.

"What are you freeing someone from? Hitsugaya-kun?"

He gave in to the girl and decided to answer her question in the most subtlest way he could.

"You see, there is this bubble that is very delicate, it can be shattered with just a touch. But if shattered in the wrong way, it can cause great harm and pain to the one who is currently dwelling within it," and then his voice dropped to a soft whisper. "I want her to be strong again."

Hinamori looked a bit more awake now.

"Can I help?"

"No, Hinamori; I think that I might be the only one who can do it. And I must do it alone."

She couldn't argue with the captain's logic. So she simply wished him good luck before drifting into actualsleep, her head still on his knee. When he was certain she had fallen asleep, he lifted her head carefully and placed it on the futon gently. Hinamori opened her mouth a little and a single name came out in a breathy whisper:

"Shiro-chan"

Suddenly, Hitsugaya could see 'bed-wetter Momo' again. In his head he said three simple sentences. Then Hitsugaya decided to say them out loud, so he could hear what it sounded like. And so Hinamori could hear him say it too and remember them through her subconsciousness.

"I want to help stand up again, without that bubble around you, for the rest of eternity.

I want to hold you tightly and protect you, for the rest of eternity."

And here he stopped to kiss Hinamori softly on the forehead before finishing.

"And I will love you… for even longer than eternity."

* * *

A/N: Well, uh... _Firstly_ I would like to apologize for how strange this chapter is. Let down? I'm sorry~ You see, my brother came back from school today and he brought a bottle of bubble stuff and then the concept of bubbles was just stuck in my head. I know it this chapter is really quite weird, but I hope it was reasonably okay? Haha~ :)

On a completely different note, my friend (sasukefan1, the one who always tells me to write more 'soppily' and 'dramatically') and I are working together to write a HitsuHina fanfic called '_The Truth'._ If you have any spare time, be sure to drop in and have a look at it. ;)

Ideas for 'F' are needed! Thanks in advance~

UPDATE, 6/10/09: This chapter has been tweeked a little bit by me while I was going through each chapter, trying to make things look a bit more neat. The bubble concept _has_changed quite a bit. And I'll admit that I like this edited version slightly better :)

&. strawberrii


	6. F Is For Fangirls

A/N: Boo! I'm back with another chapter; Yay? :) Thanks to all reviewers~ And of course, extra thanks to AmbrosiusSchuyler, lioness91, Assault Godzilla, cherryblossom hime, Crazy-Vanilla, Hayai-Akurei, cool-girl027, Snowy Peach Tsubasa and Haotorine-Rene

Disclaimer: No own Bleach. Neither does my friend who helped me; She hasnt even seen it

Credits: cool-girl027 for your suggestion. I would never have thought of this story without your idea. And a _huuge_ thanks to my friend (known as cherry, from now on) who came over and decided to help me with this chapter.

Warning: High levels of sugar consumption led to this randomness; read on in fear~

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**  
F is for Fangirls**

Toshiro Hitsugaya was _not_ a coward. He could kill hollows with a single swipe of his sword, cast powerful kido spells without an incantation, and had even managed to unlock his bankai. He was a child prodigy, reaching the rank of Taichou at a very young age. To put it simply, he was strong. But there was one thing that made him tremble at the knees and occasionally scream like a girl.

Fangirls.

And that is why at this very moment, we find our short, little Taichou running for his life, away from the evil trampeding herd of fangirls. Shouts could be heard behind him.

"OH MY GOD, YOU ARE SO HOT HITSU-CHAN!"

"MARRY ME!"

"WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY?! WHY?!"

Hitsugaya looked back at the crowd. They were holding signs that were covered in pink love hearts and sparkles; it was enough to make him almost puke. From many years of experience of being a Taichou, he was a professional at planning because of his keen mind. But today, his planning skills didn't seem to show themselves; he found himself stuck in a dead end.

'_Oh crap.'_

He was trapped, and Hitsugaya desperately needed a way out. _Now_. The fangirls approached the silver-haired Taichou slowly. Hitsugaya could smell the perfume wafting towards him. He had no choice; he had to resort to the ultimate 'distraction plan'.

"Hey look! It's Kuchiki-Taichou!"

All the fangirls turned their heads at once, searching for any sign of the afore mentioned Taichou. The plan had worked; Hitsugaya burst through the sea of fangirls and kicked down the closest door he could see. Suddenly Hitsugaya regretted his choice.

'_What if this is Kenpachi's place?'_

But luckily for him, it wasn't the place of the murderous, killing-machine of a captain. Instead, a soft-spoken Hinamori looked up from her work with a secretive smile, showing no surprise at the Taichou who had just burst in uninvited. She muttered to herself:

"Here we go again"

She then proceeded to lock all seventeen locks on the door as fangirls banged on it loudly and Hinamori grabbed a fresh folder from a cabinet. Hitsugaya managed to catch a glimpse of many other folders in the cabinet. One of them read 'Kuchiki Byakuya'. Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow.

'_What the hell is this?'_

She took a marker pen and wrote 'Hitsugaya Toshiro' in big, bold letters. Hitsugaya eyed the girl in curiosity. Then he noticed that there was someone else in the room. Byakuya was sitting in the corner of the room, curled up in a little ball, looking fearfully at the door. Hitsugaya's initial reaction was surprise, and then smirked.

'_Well, isn't this something you don't see everyday__.'_

Hitsugaya's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Hinamori's voice.

"I wouldn't be smirking if I were you. Who was the one who just barged into my quarters bringing all the fangirls and scaring Kuchiki-Taichou half to death?"

This wiped the smirk straight off the short Taichou's face as he remembered exactly why he was currently in Hinamori's quarters. Hitsugaya averted his gaze, and hurriedly tried to explain.

"I'm not running away from anything. I'm just, umm, visiting. Yeah, visiting!"

Hinamori wasn't buying his story at all. She pulled out a pen and started writing in the folder.

'_Denies fear of fangirls.'_

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to extract the information being written from Hinamori, he just went into the opposite corner and sulked. He then noticed a sign above the doorway, reaching out to him, as if it said _"read me"_. And so he obeyed. It said:

Hinamori Momo's Refuge for Those Disadvantaged with Fangirls

Hitsugaya glared. Of all the places he could have run to for safety, he had to come here. He suddenly wished he _had_ broken into Kenpachi's quarters instead. He would rather be fighting for his life than sulking in a corner with Byakuya. Hitsugaya was so caught up in his thoughts that until Hinamori ordered Byakuya to get out; he hadn't noticed that there was no longer a banging noise at the door.

Byakuya opened the door gingerly and peered both ways. He then stepped outside and gave Hinamori a nod of gratitude before running back to the Sixth Division. Then Hitsugaya slowly stood up and tiptoed after Byakuya. He was only half way out of the door when a voice stopped him.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Umm, home?"

"And who said you could go home?"

"Err, me?"

'_Since when did Hinamori become so _demanding_?'_

Hinamori let it slide and Hitsugaya made his way back to his division. Hinamori had a little smirk on her pale face. She quietly said to herself:

"I bet he'll be back tomorrow."

**- "I heard Hitsugaya-Taichou visited Hinamori Fuku-Taichou yesterday" -**

Sure enough, the next day, Hitsugaya was back in his corner. In his absence the previous day, the number of fangirls seemed to have multiplied. And not only that, their dedication seemed to have grown as well. Just before the sun was to set, Hitsugaya poked his head out a window and was met with a horde of screaming fangirls. Although it was much smaller than before, the horde was still enough to send shivers down his spine.

It was late at night when Hitsugaya poked his head out yet again. This time, he saw the light of a campfire, flickering at the doorstep, surrounded with an even smaller group of girls. But that group was still frightening in itself. Fangirls. Camping. Need we go on?

This left Hitsugaya with no choice but to stay with Hinamori for the night. He _reluctantly_ grabbed a futon and just plonked himself down. That night he had a horrible nightmare. There were fangirls coming from all directions – they were even falling from the sky - and no Hinamori's refuge could be seen. In fact, he couldn't see anything but fangirls. Halfway through the night, suddenly, Hinamori found him to be sitting on his futon, panting and covered with sweat.

Hinamori looked at the Taichou with another smirk before grabbing his folder and a pen.

'_Has nightmares about fangirls.'_

'_Appears both physically and mentally harmed.'_

Annoyed that Hinamori had seen him in such a low state, he crept out of the Fifth Division's quarters, to retreat back his own.

**- "Did you know Hitsugaya-Taichou stayed at Hinamori Fuku-Taichou's quarters for the _whole_ night?"-**

As predicted, the next day, a white haired figure could be seen once again bursting into Hinamori's quarters. Behind him, were the thunderous roars of a million voices and two million footsteps. It was enough to make the ground shake.

"I can't stand it anymore. They are so annoying. It makes me want to just kill them all with Hyourinmaru. Why do they even have to exist?"

Hinamori just blinked, before exclaiming.

"Wow! It's a new record. You've managed to say over 10 words in a single breath. Maybe you actually enjoy being here?" Hinamori let a coy smile grace her lips.

Although Hitsugaya would never admit it, it was actually true. His face turned a bright red so he just crept back to his corner to hide it. On the other hand, Hinamori retrieved the folder once again. Stifling a tiny giggle, she wrote:

'_Has murderous intent towards fangirls.'_

'_Turns red at the mention of being at this refuge.'_

'_Vocabulary is slowly increasing.'_

Taking the hint from Hitsugaya's 'overnight stay' from the night before, the fangirls decided to leave the two of them alone for some 'bonding time'. Hitsugaya stuck his head out and noticed that the fangirls had lost most of their determination. He then journeyed back to the Tenth Division, hoping that the fangirls would chase him again the next day.

**- "Maybe they're going out." -**

It was early in the morning when Hitsugaya came running towards Hinamori's quarters. His pounding footsteps, accompanied by his frantic shouts woke up the whole of Seireitei.

"Fangirls! Get them away from me. Help! They're coming!"

It was a strange sight – a lone figure racing up the streets, claiming someone was chasing him, when in fact, the whole place was deserted. He arrived at Hinamori's door, pounding on it loudly. It was weird for Hinamori. She usually could tell when fangirls were approaching. As if you _wouldn't _notice the tremors in the ground as they advanced. But today, there seemed to be only one person at the doorway. She flung the door open and Hitsugaya flew in. However, today, there was no need to close the door, seeing as there was no one else outside.

"Are you crazy? You have to close the door! They're about to come in!" Hitsugaya barged past her, and shut the door himself, out of breath.

Hinamori had nothing to say. This was beyond strange. Through all her experiences as the founder of a fangirl refuge, she had never come across such a unusual case. Excited, she hurried to grab her folder.

"What do you mean? There are no fangirls outside."

"Of course there are. Didn't you see, are you blind? I'm going to be killed."

"_Has delusions about fangirls."_

"There. Is. No. One. THERE!"

Almost suddenly, Hitsugaya's facial expression changed; the tensai smirked.

"Yeah, I know."

For a moment, a flash of confusion appeared on Hinamori's face, but was soon replaced by horror as Hitsugaya had taken her advantage of her puzzlement to snatch the folder from the unsuspecting girl's hands, reading it. With each comment his face grew more and more outraged. His smirk had now acquired an evil, almost scheming edge.

'_So this is the kind of stuff she writes in these folders… interesting…'_

"Revenge time."

He tackled Hinamori and then kissed her. Hinamori's eyes widened in shock as she tried to get away. But then she gave in. She closed her eyes and savored the kiss. Little did she know, Hitsugaya was slowly maneuvering her towards the cabinet. The Taichou reached out and grabbed a certain folder.

'_Kuchiki Byakuya. Perfect.'_

From then on, Hitsugaya was a regular guest at Hinamori's quarters, and he no longer needed the 'fangirl excuse' to see her. Also, Byakuya never showed his face there again.

**- "Apparently they kissed." -**

Hitsugaya and Hinamori, hand in hand, appeared behind Matsumoto who was spreading all the rumors. The white-haired Taichou grinned.

"Yeah, we did."

* * *

A/N: This chapter was a little (-cough- very) different from my other ones, mostly because of cherry's contribution. Although I still hope you enjoyed reading it! I understand that the characters are _quite_ OOC, but hey, randomness can be good occasionally... right? :)

I hope everyone got the idea with the **-"blah"-**, if not, you can always message me, or leave a review!

I guess you kinda feel sorry for Byakuya at the end of this chapter. Imagine the kind of things the Shinigami Women's Association are going to put in their magazine now! Please review, and thanks for reading~ Ideas for G are needed badly. Once again, I am completely blank.

&. strawberri (and cherry)


	7. G Is For Guilt

A/N: Wah, gomen! It took me a bit longer than usual to update this story this time around; sorry~

Arigato to all reviewers; your support means a lot to me :)

As usual, for their suggestions, extra thanks to CallMeNicole, cherryblossom hime, Assault Godzilla, AmbrosiusSchuyler, bladescream and cool-girl027.

Disclaimer: If I _did _own Bleach, HitsuHina would be an official pairing by now :P

Credit: This time around, after my little 'fangirls' chapter, I felt like I had to balance things out a little with something... slightly less cheerful. So, my friend opened her almighty dictionary and read it to me, haha. So a big thank you to her~

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**G is for Guilt**

"You may leave as soon as you can."

Hinamori bowed courteously to Yamamoto before walking towards the door. Her little journey was interrupted by Toshiro Hitsugaya's voice.

"Yamamoto So-Taichou," the white-haired boy started. "Let someone go with her."

Yamamoto looked at the young Taichou as Hitsugaya continued.

"I've heard that this hollow has killed five shinigami in the past, one of them even said to be a Fuku-Taichou."

Hinamori's body went rigid. She froze right before the door.

"No one knows how the hollow accomplished this and it would be foolish to send another shinigami to their death. Please let someone go with her." The tensai hesitated for a quick moment. "_I_ can go with her."

Hitsugaya's statements were met with silence. Hinamori was shaking slightly; she hadn't known that taking on this hollow was so hazardous. She turned and looked at Yamamoto, full of hope. She wanted Hitsugaya to accompany her, that way she would feel safe. But Yamamoto didn't seem to agree.

"Leave as soon as you are ready." He said to the girl at the doorway.

Hitsugaya continued to argue persistently.

"If I can't go with her, let someone else go with her! This mission isn't one that can be finished by one shinigami."

"Hinamori is the only one of the Gotei 13 who has nothing left to do in her quarters"

Then Yamamoto lowered his voice to an undertone so Hinamori couldn't hear.

"She needs to stand on her own two feet now, Hitsugaya-Taichou."

He almost wanted to yell in response, but managed to have the comment come out of his mouth at a normal volume.

"It's _dangerous_."

Instead of Yamamoto's voice answering him, he heard the soft, sweet voice of Hinamori from the door. She smiled reassuringly at her childhood friend. She suddenly felt warm inside her; Hitsugaya cared for her safety.

"It's okay Hitsugaya-kun. I'll be back in an hour, I promise you."

Hitsugaya didn't look too sure. He bit his lip.

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Hinamori walked out of the door and began her journey to the human world. Hitsugaya watched her small figure slowly fading away in the distance. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and then stood silent for the rest of the meeting. When it was over, he rushed back to the Tenth Division and looked at the time. Eleven o'clock. He wasn't letting Hinamori come back late by even a second. To distract himself, he started doing some of his paperwork, stealing quick glances at the clock every few minutes.

**

* * *

**

Hinamori span around quickly. She had been looking for the hollow for half an hour already. In the end, she hadn't found the hollow, the hollow had found her. She gripped Tobiume so tightly that her hands turned white. The hollow seemed to laugh in glee at the sight of her.

"I haven't eaten a shinigami for ages now! The last one I had was a midget."

Then the hollow noticed the armband tied around her left arm. The hollow licked its lips and smiled menacingly; it had realized that Hinamori was no ordinary shinigami.

"I know that thing; you must be pretty strong, eh? Pretty yummy too, I'll bet!"

Hinamori held Tobiume in front of her, ready to strike at any sign of an attack from the monster. The hollow took a step towards her. Hinamori instinctively jumped back three meters. The hollow seemed impressed.

"A Fuku-Taichou, very fascinating. I fought against one of them once, resulted in his dea--"

Hinamori jumped high into the air, soaring above the hollow. Tobiume was raised above her head, its blade glinting pink in the sun. Hinamori knew that it was necessary for her to use shikai here. She couldn't show any mercy to this creature.

"Snap! Tobiume!"

Prongs extended from Tobiume's blade as the hollow looked up at her in almost no interest. Hinamori aimed to bring her zanpakutou onto the hollows mask, but she was a little off target. The hollow had stepped to the side; Tobiume making a large gash in the hollow's shoulder instead. Hinamori landed gently a few meters away from the hollow, holding Tobiume in front of her once more, prepared to attack the hollow again. The hollow's laughter made the ground shake.

"My turn to attack, little girl. And I'll have a top meal tonight!"

The hollow opened its mouth as a light purple gas seemed that to be carried on the breeze escaped. Hinamori intuition told her to hold her breath and run. But she couldn't out run the wind, and she couldn't hold her breath for that long. Her lungs started crying out for air when the gas completely enveloped her. She squeezed her eyes closed, suffocating from the lack of oxygen. Her speed lowered as she grew weary. Hinamori fell to her knees as her lungs gave up. She breathed in the foul gas, weakness taking her under its wing. Slowly, her body began to lose all feeling. Then Hinamori realized how this hollow had managed to kill so many shinigami in the past.

'_It uses a gas that paralyzes the victim and puts them to sleep.'_

One last thought flashed through her head before she succumbed to the paralyzing gas.

'_I'm sorry I couldn't keep our promise, Shiro-chan…"_

The sun was in the middle of the sky, symbolizing noon.

**

* * *

**

Hitsugaya threw the pen in his hand onto the ground. Matsumoto looked up at her Taichou in surprise. The captain grabbed Hyourinmaru and departed the quarters without a word. It was already past the time Hinamori was due back, and it wasn't like her to break her promises. Hitsugaya knew something had gone wrong, horribly wrong. He gripped his zanpakutou tightly; he had to find Hinamori before she spilled a single drop of blood. The door to the human world opened before him, and before anyone could stop him, he walked in.

'_Hold on, Hinamori.'_

**

* * *

**

The hollow laughed again. It stared at the shinigami who was lying still on the ground, the slow rise and fall of her chest as the only sign of life. The hollow advanced towards the paralyzed girl when a piercing yell emanated from the sky.

"Set upon the frozen heavens! Hyourinmaru!"

The white-haired Taichou had the advantage of surprise as an icy dragon descended on the creature. In his fury, Hitsugaya didn't get the mask, but the same spot where Hinamori had slashed before. The pain of getting a gash in the same spot as another one was excruciating. The hollow howled in agony. Only seconds later, it was frozen. Hitsugaya slowly cooled down. He ran and kneeled next to the girl who seemed lifeless on the ground. Hitsugaya sat her up and leaned her against his own body, gently shaking her.

"Hinamori, everything's okay now…"

There was no response.

Hitsugaya lay her body back down on the ground as he looked for any signs of blood. She seemed completely unscathed, but yet something had made her lose consciousness. He shook the girl lightly once more.

"Hinamori, are you okay? What happened to you? Answer me-!"

No answer, her lips didn't move in the slightest. And Hitsugaya's calmness was fading quickly.

"Hinamori!"

Guilt covered Hitsugaya like a blanket. This was all _his_ fault. That was the only answer he could think of to Hinamori's pain right now. _He _hadn't tried to convince Yamamoto more. _He _was the one who gave up after a few comforting comments from Hinamori. _He _was the one who had known that this mission was far too dangerous for the girl. _He _could have not let the situation rest until a safe solution was found.

_He_ was the one who had gotten her hurt.

Hitsugaya looked down at the girl, pain plain on his face. He used Hyourinmaru as a key to open the door back to Soul Society before picking Hinamori up and running through it. If anyone got in the way of his journey to the Fourth Division, he would knock them out with Hyourinmaru. Unohana greeted them with a small gasp before taking the still Fuku-Taichou to a room for treatment. Hitsugaya could only wait outside, his guilt slowly building like dust on an untouched book.

The dust had built to an immense amount already when Unohana came out of the room and nodded for the Taichou to come in. He walked in hurriedly, wishing to see an awake Hinamori. But it was a futile hope. He was met with a Hinamori who didn't look any different from when he had found her in the human world. Hitsugaya looked at Unohana with both hopeful and demanding eyes; demanding to find out what was wrong with her, and hoping that things were going to be okay. Unohana shook her head sadly.

"We can't identify why she is in the state that she is in. She seems paralyzed in some way, and she won't wake up from any of the methods we have tried. We don't know what we can do. All we can do is wait for Hinamori to wake up herself."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened and his body seemed to shake at the thought of Hinamori not waking up. There were so many things he hadn't told her yet. He slowly walked over to the Fuku-Taichou. Her breathing seemed so subtle, but he knew that she was alive. He shot a quick glance at Unohana. He felt uncomfortable to show any feelings for Hinamori in front of anyone else. He left the room, muttering something about paperwork. The guilt was still heavy in Hitsugaya's heart.

**

* * *

**

Hitsugaya sat on a hill, overlooking the blue waters of the ocean beneath him. He had paperwork he had to complete, but he wanted fresh air and time alone. He grabbed a few sheets of the paperwork and a pen before leaving his cluttered office to this peaceful spot. He sighed. It was a beautiful sight. The sun was slowly sinking behind a line of sparkling, shimmering blue, the whole expanse above tainted pink. The sound of calm waves crashing against the shore added to the mesmerizing effect of the gentle dance between the water and the sky, the descending sun being the only source of light. The Taichou's eyes slowly closed as he remembered another time the world seemed to be in perfect harmony.

_Two young children were walking in the water. One of them seemed overjoyed at the gentle ripples around her feet, the other seemed bored half to death._

"_Ne Shiro-chan, isn't the ocean so pretty?"_

"_It's just water."_

"_But Shiro-chan! It looks like its being lit up by a thousand tiny underwater lights with every movement!"_

_Hitsugaya smirked._

"_Why don't you dive underwater and look for those lights, bed-wetter?"_

_The girl frowned._

"_I was only describing it! And besides, I don't wet my bed anymore!"_

"_Is that so?"_

_Hitsugaya dipped his hand into the cool liquid before splashing the unsuspecting girl before him. Hinamori was now dripping wet, her mouth wide open. Hitsugaya smirked again._

"_You look like you just wet more than your bed now."_

"_Shiro-chan!"_

_It was only seconds until Hitsugaya was just as drenched as Hinamori. They laughed as they tried to push each other into the water. Hitsugaya pushed Hinamori and she lost her balance, but just before she fell into the water, she grabbed Hitsugaya. They both tumbled into the water; any words they wanted to say were lost as they were drowned out by laughter._

_They sat in the water together for a long time, looking out at the sun. Hinamori whispered to him:_

"_The sunset is beautiful; I don't think I'll ever see something like that again."_

_Hitsugaya nodded. And they spent another hour or so sitting in the water, talking about whatever came to mind in the light of the slowly fading sun._

Hitsugaya's ice-green orbs opened. The sunset didn't look as stunning without the dark eyed Fuku-Taichou with him. A single sentenced repeated itself in his head.

'_The sunset is beautiful… I don't think I'll ever see something like that again.'_

He clenched his fists. What if Hinamori would never wake up again? Ever since they had become highly ranked shinigami, they never had time for such trivial matters. But now, in the gradually diminishing light, he had time to see the sunset once more. He had to show this sunset to Hinamori. Hitsugaya wasn't going to let her miss the chance of seeing something so stunning again. The Taichou racked his brain for any way to show Hinamori the sunset, any way at all. He looked down at his paperwork and his abandoned pen. A small smile crept onto his face.

**

* * *

**

The sun had finally vanished from the sky when Hitsugaya walked into the Fourth Division. He quickly reached the room where Hinamori was kept. Unohana was still there watching over her. She looked up at Hitsugaya and gave him a small nod before rising and leaving the two of them alone. He rushed to her side, taking her hand into his gently. Her hands were ice cold; Hitsugaya absolutely loathed seeing her in this state. He started talking to her softly.

"Please wake up, Hinamori." He reached out to touch her soft, pale face, his fingers brushing against her lips.

"I- I already miss you, bed-wetter."

He didn't expect any response from the unconscious girl, but he had hoped his words would wake her inner self.

"Today, I saw the sunset again."

He gripped Hinamori's hand more tightly.

"It didn't feel right to see it without you there by my side." He gulped. "I know that you love sunsets, I couldn't let you miss this one. It was really, _really_ beautiful."

Hitsugaya released her unmoving, unresponsive hands to pull out a piece of paper from his pockets. He held it out in front of her. He bit his lip before continuing.

"Hinamori, open your eyes. You have to see it."

The piece of paper that was in Hitsugaya's hands was a simple sketch of the scene he had seen earlier that day. It didn't even begin to catch the true beauty of the magnificent sight, but he had tried his best. He held it out in front of her, as if willing Hinamori to wake up, to see the sunset once more. As expected, there was no response. Hitsugaya looked down. This was the result he was prepared for; why had he had such high hopes that she would awake because of him? He decided that he should leave. He carefully placed the drawing in Hinamori's hands before touching her face one more time.

"Please wake up soon, Hinamori... For me."

Hitsugaya left the room. Until Hinamori woke up, the feeling of guilt within him would never fade away. It would always be inside him, haunting him. He made a quick journey back to his own quarters.

And in the darkness of a certain room, Hinamori's grip tightened around the piece of paper in her hand ever so slightly…

* * *

A/N: Woah guys, uber long chapter? xD Okay; I don't expect anyone to be _crying _or anything, but I certainly hope no one _laughed_ when they read this chapter. If you did, I failed badly with this one-shot which was _intended_ to be sad.

A friend of mine suggested that I should make this chapter not have a proper ending, and so leave everyone hanging. This was the end result! It's all up to your imagination if Hinamori wakes up or not. :)

To my dear friend sasukefan1, I included a sunset; happy now?

Yes, I'm not all that great with writing sad, fluffy stories so if anyone can give me some tips on how to improve, it would be greatly appreciated!

And, I'm blank. Wouldn't want to trouble my good ol' friend again so soon ne? Suggestions welcome, so click that pretty button ;)

&. strawberrii


	8. H Is For Haiku

A/N: Hehe, it's a new chapter -gasp-

To everyone who reads and reviews, arigato~

Extra thanks to AmbrosiusSchuyler, Darkness-Muffin, Assault Godzilla, lioness91, ., bladescream, Hayai-Akurei, cool-girl027 and ShadowedDagger Rips Asunder for the ideas. Very much appreciated :D

Disclaimer: Yes, I like, so totally own Bleach.

Credit: This time around, -ni-ni- came over to my house (haha, I love my friends!) and read the dictionary to me. She suggested the use of poetry, and since I'm not very good at the whole 'rhyming' thing, guess what style of poetry i chose? Yup, that's right...

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**H is for Haiku**

It was a simple, average day in Sereitei. It was early in the morning and the sun shone high in the air, the soft sounds of shinigami bustling around could be heard. And it was on this 'simple, average day' that Yamamoto decided to help the Gotei 13 get in touch with their, shall we say, creative side?

Black butterflies were quick to spread the message of a meeting around. It didn't take long for the First Division to be filled with Taichous and Fuku-Taichous. Only one look at Yamamoto's unusually cheerful face was enough to say that this meeting wasn't going to be a serious one.

"I've gathered you all here, so we can all connect with the imaginative side within us all."

No comment; had the So-Taichou gone crazy overnight?

"Taichous and Fuku-Taichous of every division have to work together and produce a haiku!" He announced loudly. "These haikus have to express feelings of some kind about something that is important to you, anything. They don't have to be works of art, but you all must try. It is compulsory."

Groans could be heard all around.

"In exactly five days from now, I will have all divisions read out their haikus. There will be a prize for the winner. You must all put your hearts into writing these haikus!"

Okay; someone _definitely_ spiked Yamamoto's tea last night. Matsumoto? Kyoraku?

"You are dismissed!" Yamamoto's voice boomed.

And that was when the room erupted with noise.

"Poems are just not something I _do_," grumbled an angry Kenpachi.

"Things are going to be fine Ken-chan! I'm going to be there to help!" Yachiru seemed happy at the chance to show her creative mind to everyone.

"NANAO-CHAAAAAN! We can write a haiku about our beautiful looooove!" Kyoraku puckered up his lips, only to be met with a book in the face.

"Anou, Unohana-Taichou?"

"We'll think of something, Isane," came the calm reply.

Hitsugaya frowned inwardly.

'_Oh great, five days working on something with Matsumoto…'_

Everyone quickly returned to their own divisions, brainstorming ideas and writing rough drafts. All Taichous and Fuku-Taichous went to sleep early that night. It hurt their brains to be this creative. Day one drew to a close.

**~Day Two~**

"Hitsugaya-Taichou! We have to work on our haiku now!"

The short Taichou's blue-green orbs opened. He had been thinking about it all night. No ideas really presented themselves, and at this rate they weren't going to have haiku ready in time. But for Matsumoto to be so eager to start, something was definitely wrong.

"Matsumoto, do you have any ideas?"

The strawberry-blonde Fuku-Taichou grinned childishly; Hitsugaya knew by experience that that was not a good sign. He took a small step backwards, slowly trying to escape the room. Matsumoto pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. Her grin widened.

"This is our perfect chance for you confess your love for Hinamori Fuku-Taichou!"

"M-My what?!"

"As if it isn't obvious enough already!" Matsumoto scoffed.

Matsumoto began to write:

_Hitsugaya…_

She stopped to glare at her Taichou.

"Your stupid name already takes up four syllables."

She crossed out the name and started to stare at a wall in deep thought. If she was going to use their names, there was no way that she could make it fit into five, seven and five syllables. Matsumoto searched her brain, thinking harder than ever before. There had to be some way to communicate Hitsugaya and Hinamori's love story. She quickly stole a glance at the child prodigy. He would know how. If only he would cooperate with her! She had no choice, she had to convince him.

"Taichou, do you like her or not?"

"She's my friend!"

"Mhmm, but you wish you two were something more. Yes or no?"

Blush.

Matsumoto changed her tune. She gave her captain a small smile and said in a soft, but firm voice:

"This is the best chance you will ever get."

Hitsugaya looked his Fuku-Taichou in the eye before returning her smile.

"Let's get to work."

**~Day Three~**

A tall woman and a short boy were fighting over a piece of paper. Incoherent shouts could be heard and anyone who walked past would have had absolutely no idea what the two of them were arguing about. However, if you were in the room, the yells could be easily interpreted.

"You can't make me a _blob_ and Hinamori a _line_."

"You're not coming forward with any other ideas! Besides, you're the one who suggested substituting your names with something simpler. Yet at the same time, you wanted it to be subtle. No one will ever work out who a line and a blob are!"

"But Hinamori needs to be able to understand!"

"…"

'_Taichou does have a point.'_

"Fine, so what do you want to be?"

There was silence as the two thought carefully. It had to be a word that symbolized Hitsugaya that no one could decode, besides Hinamori. A light bulb seemed to appear above Matsumoto's head. She jumped up, clicking her fingers.

"I got it! What about 'watermelon'?"

Hitsugaya mentally kicked himself. He had actually believed that Matsumoto had found a reasonable solution. The Taichou simply shook his head as an answer; it would be a waste of time explaining that 'watermelon' and 'Hitsugaya' had the same amount of syllables, defeating the whole purpose.

Hitsugaya took the paper out of Matsumoto's hands and wrote a single word on it.

"How about that?"

He wasn't called a child prodigy for no reason. Matsumoto grinned

"It's perfect."

And meanwhile in another division, a _tall _man and a _short_ girl were also discussing 'haiku matters'.

**~Day Four~**

Tomorrow was the day of the performance; the time had seemed to fly past. For Hitsugaya, it wasn't the day of the performance that drew nearer; it was day he would confess that was drawing closer. After a night of no sleep, Hitsugaya finally worked out the word that could depict Hinamori. Now they just had to fit the words together.

The piece of paper that they were drafting on was very scrunched up. Matsumoto grabbed the paper out of Hitsugaya's hands and scribbled something. Hitsugaya quickly edited it and Matsumoto snatched it back again. The process repeated and repeated until the two of them finished with a haiku they were both satisfied with.

The highly ranked shinigami of the Tenth Division went to sleep with smiles on their faces that night.

**~Performance Day~**

"Instead of starting with the First Division, we will go backwards this time!"

Ukitake stepped up with his two third-seats, the two of them arguing about who should read the haiku out. Hitsugaya barely noticed the commotion, fidgeting about what was to happen very soon. When Hitsugaya finally paid attention to the haikus that were being read, it was already the Eleventh Division's turn. Yachiru bounced onto the stage while Kenpachi followed slowly behind.

"Okay! Everyone has to listen! Ken-chan came up with the theme, and I put it into words!"

She cleared her throat before she presented her haiku, that is, if you could call it one.

_"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!_

_Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!_

_Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"_

The whole room was silent as everyone laughed inwardly. Technically speaking, it _was_ a haiku; it fit the whole 'five syllables, seven syllables, five syllables' deal. And it _did _express the Eleventh Divisions feelings for something they found important. Yachiru was still on stage grinning hugely at the audience who had just been able to witness artistic creativity in its finest moment. Yamamoto had to break the awkward silence.

"Next! Tenth Division, Hitsugaya Toshiro and Matsumoto Rangiku."

Hitsugaya took his time walking up; shooting a quick glance at the Fuku-Taichou his whole haiku was dedicated to. Hinamori gave Hitsugaya a small smile. Matsumoto's voice echoed around the room when she announced:

"This haiku has a very deep, profound meaning to Taichou, so he's going to read it!"

Hitsugaya scowled.

'_Way to make it subtle, Matsumoto.'_

Hitsugaya gripped the piece of paper in his hands tightly before slowly reciting:

_"Snow falls from above,_

_Blossoms descend from the trees,_

_Forever… they dance."_

Once again, there was utter silence, but this time the silence was out of awe. It was the first haiku that the Gotei 13 had heard today that was beautiful and did appear to have meaning, though it escaped them all. Hitsugaya looked up and gazed at Hinamori. Her face was stunned, but so was everyone else's. He sighed and walked towards his designated spot. Hinamori ran up to him before Yamamoto announced the next haiku.

"Hitsugaya-kun!"

The whole room seemed to look at the two of them, no one daring to interrupt the scene before them.

"Th- that haiku was really beautiful. I didn't know you could write something so beautiful!"

Hitsugaya felt as if his heart was being squeezed.

"Did you… get the meaning?"

"Meaning?"

Matsumoto's face fell as she sighed. Hinamori was far too simple minded to get the hidden message in that haiku. Hitsugaya, however, wasn't giving up yet. Everyone was still watching them, not that Hitsugaya or Hinamori had noticed.

"What if I told you that I am the snow and you are the blossoms?"

"You and me?"

There was no way Hinamori was going to get it. Hitsugaya did something he didn't think he had the courage to do; walked up to her and kissed her, entangling his hands in her dark brown hair. The world was soundless. The silence was broken by a single cheer from Matsumoto, followed by applause and more cheering from everyone else in the room. The kiss was broken, their lips only millimeters apart. Hinamori whispered to Hitsugaya.

_"Blossom was confused,_

_Snow's kiss seemed to clear things up,_

_Now she understands."_

Hitsugaya was impressed by Hinamori's improvisation, but before he could voice his thoughts, they kissed again; shouts of approval surrounding them.

All the other haikus were left unheard. Yamamoto muttered something about the prize under his breath. Matsumoto grinned at the So-Taichou.

"As if anyone even _cares_ about the prize after _this_!"

* * *

A/N: Big thanks to -ni-ni- for helping out with Hitsugaya's haiku. Yachiru's haiku? Credits to me ;) Gosh, that was the hardest thing to write everrrr~

Just for those who dont know, this is to clear things up: A haiku is a Japanese style of poetry that involves three lines. The first line being five syllables, the next being seven syllables and the third being five syllables again.

I already have an idea for 'I' and i doubt that I will change my mind, but I'm always open to new ideas. Also, remember cherry from the 'Fangirls' chapter? She's stepping in again for the next one so I think you all know what that means: randomness!

Be scared; be very, very scared.

On a different note, i have a few fanfics that i should update so, i'll update this fic when i hit 100 reviews, or when I finish updating my other fics, whichever comes first LOL

&. strawberrii


	9. I Is For Instant Messaging

A/N: Well, I guess I managed to both hit the 100 mark _and _update my stories; lucky me? Sadly, holidays are over now and updates will probably me much slower. Sorry for how long the wait was for this update! I had this big important maths test today that I was studying for; I still have to do the other half on Monday, wish me luck? :)

Well, thanks to Darkness-Muffin... for being the only one to give suggestions for I! And thank you to everyone who reviewed in general, I love you guys! -heart-

Disclaimer: Oh, I own Bleach! It sits next to my washing machine!

Credit: Heh, heh... cherry and I were talking on msn and this idea came up. We were going to save this idea for the letter 'M' but you know, we couldnt wait that long~

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**I is for Instant Messaging**

On a computer screen, there was a blue and green icon with 'Windows Live Messenger' written underneath. A curious Hitsugaya double clicked the icon. It was his second day in the human world and he was staying with Ichigo. Ichigo had already taught Hitsugaya how to go on the internet, how to use a remote to watch T.V. and how to play PS2 (though sadly discovering only seconds later that PS3 had come out). Now, he found himself conquering the new world of instant messaging.

The young Taichou found himself in the human world when he and Matsumoto were given a mission to hunt down a hollow who had yet to show itself. Matsumoto, who was staying at Orihime's, convinced Hitsugaya to get an email and an MSN account so they could talk to each other while they stayed with their hosts.

Hitsugaya stared at the blue window he had opened dumbly. With Ichigo doing after school activities, he was stuck alone with the computer. The screen read:

**Email address:**

**Password:**

**[Sign In]**

Well, that seemed easy enough. Hitsugaya entered the email address that he had created only a day ago and the password that came with it. Then he clicked 'Sign In' and watched a blue person and a green person spin around in circles.

**- Hitsugaya has signed in -**

As soon as the MSN window opened, Hitsugaya noticed there were many people who had added him to their contact list. Not bothering to read who they were, Hitsugaya accepted them all, knowing one of them was Matsumoto. The Taichou was then left sitting on a chair, looking at the screen. No one was online.

**- Hitsugaya's BIGGEST fan has signed in -**

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow.

'_I accepted this person as a contact?'_

He finally realized the mistake of not noticing who he was accepting. The white haired boy tried to delete the person before they start talking to him but clicking the person's email address and then hitting 'backspace' wasn't working.

'_But Ichigo said that button deletes everything!'_

The poor Taichou hit his head on the desk; he had learnt a lesson: don't trust Ichigo with everything. Before Hitsugaya could knock himself unconscious, there was a short melody and a flashing orange box in the toolbar; someone was talking to him.

**Hitsugaya's BIGGEST fan says: **omg, r u lyk hitsugaya?!

**Hitsugaya says:** Excuse me?

**Hitsugaya's BIGGEST fan says: **just answer da question

**Hitsugaya says: **What's the question?

**Hitsugaya's BIGGEST fan says: **are

**Hitsugaya's BIGGEST fan says:** you

**Hitsugaya's BIGGEST fan says: **hitsugaya

**Hitsugaya's BIGGEST fan says: **?

**Hitsugaya says: **Yes.

**Hitsugaya's BIGGEST fan says: **OMG!! ILY!! DID U NOE THAT IM UR BIGGEST FAN?

Hitsugaya stared at the conversation he was having in shock. He didn't understand what was going on at all. What was this thing they call 'OMG' or that thing they called 'ILY'? The Taichou reread the comment a few times before realizing that 'u' meant 'you', 'noe' meant 'know' and 'ur' meant 'your'. However, 'OMG' and 'ILY' still didn't make sense.

**Hitsugaya says: **Yes, it's mentioned in your name.

**Hitsugaya's BIGGEST fan says: **do u wanna go out sometime?

**Hitsugaya says: **Go out…?

**- i love hitsugaya has signed in -**

These people were just getting weirder and weirder. Hitsugaya had only wanted to talk to his Fuku-Taichou, but instead all these random people were signing in. He considered quitting MSN, only to realize that he didn't know how. Why were things so much easier back in Soul Society? He walked to the kitchen and poured himself a glass or water before returning to the computer and taking a sip. He was greeted by a new message.

**Hitsugaya's BIGGEST fan says: **go out… lyk, on a date?

Hitsugaya spat out the water he had just been drinking, choking in the process. He quickly decided to minimize that conversation, concluding that not replying would be the wisest decision. He had a moment of silence to congratulate himself on his smart choice… before the familiar melody played again.

**i love hitsugaya says: **hitsugaya?

**Hitsugaya says: **Yes?

**i love hitsugaya says: **i… i love you -blush-

Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed.

'_What is with these people and stating the same things they have in their names?'_

**Hitsugaya says: **…

**i love hitsugaya says: **do… do you love me? -blush-

**Hitsugaya says: **I don't even _know _you.

**i love hitsugaya says: **-eyes welling up with tears- you dont know me?

**Hitsugaya says: **Am I supposed to? And what is with typing out those actions?

**i love hitsugaya says: **IT'S COOL

**Hitsugaya says: **...

**i love hitsugaya says: **i s2 you hitsu-chan!

Hitsugaya minimized that conversation too. None of these people seemed to know how to start a halfway decent conversation… or a conversation that made sense for that matter. Ichigo had to come home quickly or Matsumoto had to get online soon, otherwise the computer was going to meet a quick death from Hyourinmaru.

**- Matsumoto has signed in -**

'_Okay, the computers safe for now.'_

**Matsumoto says: **TAICHOU!!

**Hitsugaya says: **About time you got here. I've been waiting for you for a long time and all these strange girls keep talking to me in their weird instant messaging language.

**Matsumoto says: **LOL!!

**Hitsugaya says: **LOL?

**Matsumoto says: **OMG! You don't even know the most basic words of the instant messaging world, haha!

**Hitsugaya says: **OMG?

**Matsumoto says: **ROFL, Ichigo hasn't taught you anything. Orihime taught me all of this :)

**Hitsugaya says: **Is :) a face?

**Matsumoto says: **Wow, you're not as dumb as I thought.

**Hitsugaya says: **I'm going to pretend you didn't say that. Have you found any leads on that hollow?

**Matsumoto says: **Nope, still no sign. Anyways, I g2g help Orihime with some cooking. I'll ttyl!

**Hitsugaya says: **g2g? ttyl?

**- Matsumoto has signed out -**

With Matsumoto's departure, Hitsugaya was left with the two fangirls. The melody rang out again. Hitsugaya's eye twitched.

**Hitsugaya's BIGGEST fan says: **wth? y aren't u answering me?

Hitsugaya continued to ignore the girl. He wasn't going to answer her stupid question. There was the sound of a door opening and shoes being taken off. Seconds later, Ichigo flung the door to his room open and shot Hitsugaya a questioning look.

"And what do you think you're doing Toshiro?"

"It's Hitsugaya to you."

"Instant messaging? Who are you talking to?"

"No one."

Ichigo read out the comment on the screen.

"'What the hell? Why aren't you answering me?' … Care to explain?"

'_So that's what wth means…'_

Ichigo pushed the Taichou off the chair and started to read the conversations that he had been having. After the few minutes of silence Ichigo had to read the messages, the taller boy started laughing.

"Oi, Toshiro, you do realize that all these girls are hitting on you?"

**- hitsugaya is so friggin sxc! has signed in -**

Now that Ichigo was in control of the computer, he started to talk to the latest fangirl arrival.

**Hitsugaya says:** hi

**hitsugaya is so friggin sxc! says: **OMG! HITSUGAYA IS TALKING TO ME!

Even Ichigo was stunned by the girl's enthusiasm.

**Hitsugaya says:** ……………

**hitsugaya is so friggin sxc! says: **YOUR SO HAAAWWT AND SXC! DO YOU WANNA BE MY BF?

Ichigo let out another fit of laughter. Since the Taichou looked so confused at what was so funny and what on _earth _that girl had just said, Ichigo calmly translated all the conversations he had had and clarified all the abbreviations. Hitsugaya's eyes grew wider with every one of the revelations. Ichigo quickly explained how to sign out, standing up from the chair and offering it to Hitsugaya before saying:

"I'm going to go to the toilet now. I'll leave you to work this 'girl problem' out yourself."

**hitsugaya is so friggin sxc! says: **SOOO?! DO YU WANNA BE MY BF?! WE WOULD MAKE SUCH A CUTE COUPLE!!

Hitsugaya looked up at the ceiling and thought of a Fuku-Taichou with chocolate eyes and soft dark hair. Looking behind him to make sure Ichigo wasn't there, Hitsugaya replied with a small smile on his face.

**Hitsugaya says:** I'm sorry, I think I already like someone else.

The short Taichou then closed the converstation and logged out of his account, his secret confined to only him, and the fangirl.

Oh, and the chat log on Ichigo's computer.

* * *

A/N: Suprisingly, this chapter didn't turn out as randomly as I had expected (possibly because we weren't on a sugar high) Cherry didn't help all that much either. Oh wells~ Even though this chapter wasn't complete and utter randomness as I had originally predicted, it is still time that I balance things out once more.

So far I can only think of one word for 'J' that I could write a sad story with... so please share your ideas with me :)

And for the record, cherry and I are MSN users. That's why we chose MSN~

&. strawberrii


	10. J Is For Ja Ne

A/N: I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry! I'm really sorry for the late update. My parents aren't that supportive of me writing, and schools been completely overwhelming recently. Thank you so much for reading this story. I hope there's been an improvement in my writing? :) Haha~

Uh, and about the previous chapter, I have no idea how they knew it was Hitsugaya; it's up to your imagination (heh, the pathetic excuses of a clueless authoress)

For your very coolios suggestions, arigato to AmbrosiusSchuyler, Hayai-chan, bladescream, Assault Godzilla and cool-girl027; big thanks!

Disclaimer: I can barely _speak_ Japanese prooperly; how do you expect me to own an anime and a manga?

Credit: My Japanese sensei, and Snowy Peach Tsubasa :)

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**J is for Ja Ne**

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," said a soft voice.

A snowy haired Taichou shoved the door open roughly, scaring the poor Fuku-Taichou half to death.

"Shiro-chan! Be more gentle or you'll break that door!"

Hitsugaya looked at his childhood friend coldly. Hinamori quickly looked down, staring at an extremely interesting piece of paperwork on her desk. The Taichou marched briskly over and slammed his palms down on the desk before her; Hinamori jumped out of her seat in fright.

"Only an hour from now, where will you be?" There was an edge to the Taichou's voice that Hinamori couldn't quite put her finger on.

"I- I- N- No where! I won't be anywhere else." She started to shuffle around on her seat uncomfortably.

"Is that so?"

The Fuku-Taichou nodded meekly.

"I see how it is."

Hinamori bit her lip. If it had been under any other conditions, she would have almost definitely asked Hitsugaya what he was talking about and if something was troubling him. However, this time around Hinamori knew exactly what was troubling him. Questioning him would only lead to her answering unwanted queries, so the girl stayed silent. It was this very action that made Hitsugaya even more suspicious though. The information that he had received was from a very reliable source (if you call Matsumoto reliable) and Hinamori's nervousness almost seemed to confirm it. Casually, Hitsugaya changed the subject.

"So, have you been catching up with other people lately?"

Hinamori blinked. It seemed an innocent enough question, though it was almost definitely the start of an upcoming onslaught.

"Um, just a few close friends."

"Oh, does that include Kira Izuru and Abarai Renji by any chance?"

The girl started fiddling with the end of her sleeves, not daring to look up at the Taichou in front of her. There were so many thoughts crowded in her head. Almost like a busy bus with people tripping over each other. No one thought stood out; it was a mess, a jumble.

'_Does Shiro-chan know already?'_

The boy looked at Hinamori triumphantly, though he seemed angry to some extent too. Forcing a smile onto his face, he said:

"So it _does _include the two of them?"

"N- No, Shiro-chan!"

"It's Hitsugaya-Taichou."

Then all was silent. Fifteen minutes had already passed. Hinamori's eyes darted around before she abruptly stood up. She gave the child prodigy a small smile.

"Shiro-chan, I have to go now. Ja Ne!"

She walked quickly to the door and exited. Hitsugaya walked quickly and sat down in the chair that Hinamori had been sitting on. He closed his eyes and opened them seconds later. In those seconds, something had changed within his icy, cold orbs of only seconds ago. Now, deep concern could be seen.

'_Why Hinamori? Why did you have to--"_

**

* * *

**

Hinamori looked up at the pale blue sky. Judging from the position of the sun, she decided it was almost time for her to meet with Kira and Renji. Hinamori shook her head quickly, some of her hair coming loose from its bun.

'_How did Shiro-chan find out about me, Kira-kun and Abarai-kun?'_

Instead of answering her own question, she made her way to the Sixth Division. Renji was already outside with his zanpakutou by his side. He grinned and waved at the girl.

"Oi! Hinamori!"

The girl waved back. Soon the two of them started walking together towards the Third Division. Kira didn't seem to be as eager as Renji as he was still inside his division. Telling Hinamori to wait outside, Renji quickly dashed in and was dragging Kira out by his ear only a moment later. Hinamori stifled a laugh.

"Do you think we should go now?" Asked Kira when Renji finally let him go.

"Yeah! We don't want Yamamoto So-Taichouto to get angry at us for being late!"

However, Hinamori was silent. Another thought had finally got onto the busload, and this particular passenger could've been wearing a brightly colored shirt; this thought...it stood out.

'_What if... Shiro-chan got the wrong idea?'_

"Anou, you two go ahead first. I have to go and see someone first."

The two nodded in approval. They seemed pretty sure about who the dark haired girl was planning to see, and they both smirked inwardly. The only thing they feared was having the Fuku-Taichou come back in tears.

**

* * *

**

Hinamori felt foolish as she knocked on the door to her own office. Instead of having someone reply and welcoming her in, Hitsugaya came and opened the door for her. Hinamori didn't enter the room though.

"Shiro-chan-"

Silence.

"In half an hour, where do _you_ think I'll be?"

It was the reverse of the question Hitsugaya had asked her. Hitsugaya continued to stare at the girl in silence. Hinamori didn't speak either. It wasn't long before Hitsugaya finally chose to answer the question.

"A mission."

Hinamori's mouth formed a small 'o' shape. Hitsugaya _hadn't _gotten the wrong idea. So he wasn't being jealous. But then, what was it?

"How did you fi--"

"Matsumoto."

Hinamori began to ponder the situation carefully in her head. Few things actually made sense to her, but there was still a big knot that was still to be untied, and it was this knot that would answer all her questions.

"Then... Shiro-chan, why are you so upset about this mission?"

Instead of exploding like any other person would, Hitsugaya gave Hinamori a steady gaze before explaining in a normal tone.

"Bed-wetter, this mission was given to Renji. He was allowed to pick two people to go with him. _Why on earth_ did he pick you? I don't want him to put your life at risk!"

'_And I don't want anyone else protecting you but _me_."_

With an equally steady gaze, Hinamori answered truthfully.

"We decided it would be fun. It would be like a reunion sort of thing for us. After all, we did work together back at the academy."

It was a reasonable explanation. Now that Hinamori was sure Hitsugaya wasn't taking things the wrong way, she left the room with a smile on her face.

"Well, Ja Ne Shiro-chan!"

But Hitsugaya wasn't smiling.

**

* * *

**

"I'm back!"

"You sure took your time…"

"Gomen!!"

The three shinigami looked at each other. They were finally going to work together again. It felt so long since they had actually achieved something together, and the thought just brought a smile to all their faces. Renji's loud battle cry echoed around all of Soul Society.

"All right! LET'S GO!"

The door to the human world opened before them. The three of them advanced towards the door slowly. Suddenly, a voice in the distance called out a single word

"Wait!"

Three heads turned to look at Hitsugaya, standing alone behind them. He ran up to Hinamori and looked her worriedly. He opened his mouth to speak but saw Renji and Kira out of the corner of his eye. Hitsugaya clamped his mouth shut and glared at the two of them. Getting the not-so-subtle message, the two of them waved to Hinamori and entered the door first. Hinamori and Hitsugaya were left alone.

"So, is there anything you have to say?"

Hitsugaya blushed.

"Be careful."

Hinamori's face soon turned the same shade as Hitsugaya's. She looked down and then said the words that she had already said two times that day.

"Well, I should go now. Ja Ne!"

And she left to the human world, as Hitsugaya stood in front of the door until it slowly faded away.

Ja Ne.

Those two syllables could never convey everything Hinamori had wanted to say; those two syllables only meant a plain goodbye.

Ja Ne.

They were the last words Hinamori had said to Hitsugaya before she went on her mission. No one knew how long it would be until she returned.

Ja Ne.

It is often said; sometimes there are words that are best left unspoken. There were words that Hinamori didn't say. Though 'Ja Ne' came out of her mouth, she really wanted to say something else. She really wanted to say three words that meant something completely different.

Ja Ne.

But this was one of those times when unspoken words should have been spoken. The three words that Hinamori wished she had said would lie in her heart until a later time.

Ja Ne.

At that very moment however, only two simple syllables were imprinted in Hitsugaya's memory… until his little bed-wetter finally comes back.

'_Ja Ne.'_

* * *

A/N: Eeek; this is the opposite to last chapter. This time it wasn't as _sad_ as I had expected it to be. Though the theme was 'Ja Ne', I mixed a _tiny_ bit of jealousy in... very tiny. :) Anyone wanna take a guess at what the 'three unspoken words' are? Cookie if you're right!

On a very different note: AH! I've finally done 10 chapters! 10! Only 16 more to go! K, K,K...? Help strawberrii please~

&. strawberrii


	11. K Is For Knot

A/N: I'm so _sorry_! I planned to update this story yesterday (my birthday!), along with my new story _Spread Your Wings_ but my computer screwed up; It wouldn't let me open the document. :(

Cookies for lil'shinigami and CallMeNicole get a prize for guessing the three words! Must have been awfully difficult ne? And now it's time for my usual routine; you all know how it goes~

Thanks to Snowy Peach Tsubasa, 123PIKACHU, Assault Godzilla, Hayai-Akurei, bladescream and Darkness-Muffin! Some very interesting suggestions! Why don't my parents support my fanfic writing? Coz they think it distracts me from school (which I'll admit it does sometimes).

Disclaimer: Bleach is cool, but I don't own it.

Credit: Ahaha! To my very cool camp experience. Hmm, I learnt a few knots along the way, tying all the bits and pieces together (even though our raft still fell apart, oops) and to my random friend who used to enjoy tying my shoelaces together so she could watch me fall flat on my face. I love you too!

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**K is for Knot**

It was really just one of those days. It was rather late; only an hour or so before she usually went to bed. And it was now, just before Hinamori was going to have a shower, that a knock on the door could be heard.

"Who is it?" she called

A single word came back in response.

"Me."

'_Hitsugaya-kun?'_

Hinamori quickly rose from her chair, but in the process knocked two large piles of paperwork onto the ground, the pages fluttering around everywhere. Ignoring the mess she had created, Hinamori rushed to the door, but she never reached her destination. She accidentally stepped on one of the sheets and slipped, landing on her backside with a loud THUMP! The event was quickly followed by a door being slammed open and a short Taichou rushing to Hinamori's side.

"Hey, are you alright Hinamori?"

Hinamori just nodded as Hitsugaya helped her up. Now that both of them were standing on their own feet, Hitsugaya got the chance to examine the Fuku-Taichou's office. Raising an eyebrow at the unexpected messiness, Hinamori read his mind, answering his question before he even asked it.

"When I stood up to open the door for you, my arm knocked a pile of paperwork over."

Hitsugaya smirked.

"You were _that_ excited to see me?"

The girl blushed and looked away.

"N- No!"

Hitsugaya ended the discussion with a light chuckle. He then bent down, picked up two sheets of paper and read them. Hitsugaya frowned.

"These shouldn't be anywhere near each other. You really have made quite a mess here bed-wetter," he teased.

"I- I do not wet my bed!" The blush on Hinamori's face was growing more and more noticeable.

Again, Hitsugaya changed the subject.

"What were you planning to do before I showed up?"

And the girl's face was officially tomato red.

"Shower."

Now it was Hitsugaya's turn to blush. He had picked a bad time to come. For a while, neither of them moved. Hinamori thought it would be mean to just leave Hitsugaya alone, while Hitsugaya waited for Hinamori to leave. When both of them didn't say anything, Hitsugaya chose to break the silence.

"Why don't you go and have your shower now? I'll organise your paperwork for you again."

The Fuku-Taichou smiled gratefully at her childhood friend. She nodded and departed the room. Hitsugaya sank to the ground and grabbed a handful of the paper around him. He could feel a headache coming on.

'_Why did I offer to help?'_

**

* * *

**

Hinamori grabbed a peach coloured towel and walked briskly to the bathroom. Locking the door, she reached down to untie the obi sash around her waist. It was only a few seconds later when she realised she couldn't. She tugged it in every direction, but to no avail. Hinamori gave up on the knot, wearing a look of disbelief on her face.

'_It wouldn't stay this morning, so I tied it tightly. But now I can't untie it!'_

She pulled the knot fiercely in one final attempt but failed miserably. Closing her eyes in defeat, the Fuku-Taichou realised there was only one way she was going to get her obi sash untied.

'_Hitsugaya-kun!'_

**

* * *

**

In front of Hitsugaya, there were two neat piles of paper, but all around him, there were still many sheets he hadn't organised. He sighed in annoyance. What on earth was he thinking when he suggested helping her? Hitsugaya stood up and walked to a corner that had three sheets in it, but froze in his steps when he heard the sound of running footsteps on floorboards.

Hinamori opened the door shyly and walked towards the Taichou. Icy green eyes only spoke of confusion when Hinamori stopped in front of him and looked down in embarrassment.

"What do you want?"

"A- Anou…" she began.

Hinamori didn't know how to word it. If she said that she couldn't untie her own obi sash, Hitsugaya would think she was some kind of idiot. But if she kept standing there, Hitsugaya would think she was some kind of non-talking idiot. Hitsugaya noticed the dry towel in her hand, realising that Hinamori still hadn't had her shower yet. Hinamori finally decided to continue.

"I- I-"

Hitsugaya waited patiently.

"Ican'tuntiemyobisashbecauseItieditreallytightlythismorningwhenitwouldn'tstayandnowIcan'thavemyshowerbecauseitwon'tcomeundone," somehow the girl managed to say the whole sentence in one breath.

Hitsugaya took a step backward from the sudden outburst. He repeated the same question he asked before.

"So… what do you want?"

The Fuku-Taichou took a deep breath before putting what she wanted plainly.

"Can you help me untie my obi sash?"

"Wh- _What_?!"

"My obi sash," Hinamori explained patiently. "I can't untie the knot myself."

"Just, untie it yourself!"

"I can't!"

"What do you mean 'you can't'?!"

"I can't untie it myself, watch!"

Hinamori started pulling the knot futilely. Hitsugaya looked at her in dismay, but gave in to the puppy dog eyes Hinamori was giving him. He reached out one of his hands for the obi sash shakily, tugging on it gently at first, but then more and more ferociously when he realised it wasn't going to come undone that easily. Hinamori cringed.

"Ow! Hitsugaya-kun, you're hurting me!"

The snowy haired Taichou started to pull the knot more gently again.

Tug.

Tug.

Tug.

It still wouldn't come undone. Hinamori sighed.

"It's okay Hitsugaya-kun, I'll just cut it in ha--"

"No, I'm going to untie it!"

Stubborn. There was no other word for it. Hinamori's face then slowly began to turn red yet again. Because he was concentrating so hard on the knot, Hitsugaya didn't notice how close their bodies were to each other, how close their _faces_were to each other. Hitsugaya's eyes were downcast on the knot. Looking at his beautiful eyes, Hinamori shook her head quickly to clear her mind of certain thoughts.

"Something wrong?"

Hinamori jumped back at the sudden question.

"Ah- Nothing!"

Ignoring her answer completely, Hitsugaya continued to work on the knot. Hinamori then looked down in surprise. The knot was actually half undone, though still tight around her waist. Hitsugaya pulled one of the loose ends and Hinamori suddenly felt a squeeze at her waist.

"Hitsugaya-kun!" she gasped.

"Oops, I pulled the wrong end."

The boy hastily tried to loosen the obi around the girl's waist, blushing when he noticed how slim and beautiful Hinamori was. The knot became looser again. Hinamori smiled her gratitude. The boy then tugged fiercely on the knot and the unexpected happened.

Hinamori lunged forward.

She landed in Hitsugaya arms.

Despite how light she was, the force knocked both of them over.

Hinamori was on top of Hitsugaya.

And somehow their lips met.

The colour stained on both their cheeks could not be called red; it was a some unknown colour beyond that. No words could possibly describe how embarrassed the two of them were. Hinamori hastily tried to get up, but then collapsed onto Hitsugaya again; he was still holding onto the obi sash.

"Anou, Hitsugaya-kun…"

The boy didn't release his hold on the sash one bit. Hinamori tried to get up again, using all the energy she had in her body to stand, but somehow, just one of Hitsugaya's hands had the energy to hold her down. The Fuku-Taichou tried to get up one last time.

And the unexpected happened again.

The obi sash came undone, leaving the girl in her white kosode. A pile of black clothes fell around the two of them. Hinamori's eyes turned to the size of dinner plates. If it had been someone else with bad intentions, Hinamori would have slapped the person. But it was Hitsugaya, and she _did_ ask him to help untie the knot. Slapping someone wasn't exactly the best way to say thank you.

For the third time, something unexpected occurred.

The door of the Fuku-Taichou's office opened, revealing a shocked Kira. He looked at the two figures in the room and the colour drained from his face. Hinamori was on top of Hitsugaya in her kodose, her black robes all around them and Hitsugaya holding her white obi sash. Both of them got up quickly and started babbling incoherently in an attempt to explain. Kira didn't seem to understand, turning around and running away. Possibly screaming.

"Ahh…" the girl began, fiddling with the sleeves of her kosode.

"As long as we don't tell anyone anything, no one will know." Hitsugaya answered.

'_And I'll take care of Kira too…'_

The two of them looked at each other and gave each other a quick nod. Hinamori rushed off to have her shower and Hitsugaya rushed back to the Tenth Division.

It was the first knot that came untied in their blossoming tale of love.

Literally.

* * *

A/N: Yay, I have finished K! :) Oh wows, that actually rhymed. Guess the inner poet is still with me since the haiku days! This chapter was a more cheerful one because it was requested; well, at least I _hope_it was cheerful!

Reviews make very nice late birthday presents, and it's time for ideas for 'L'. I just want to clear up one thing: I do not want to do L is for Love; it's too typical. Sure, I have no idea what I will eventually write about... but Love is not only too broad, but too... expected? Haha, I don't know the word~ :S

Thanks for reading~

&. strawberrii, who is now officially one year and a day older.


	12. L Is For List

A/N: Beware: slightly long chapter ahead! I had originally planned to have this chapter come out yesterday or maybe the day before yesterday but you know, things pop up and ruin your plans sometimes. At least it's up now! :)

Big thank you to everyone who gave suggestions. That includes Mokona soel, 123PIKACHU, lil'shinigami, Assault Godzilla, momo hitsugaya, killerbunny78, , Snowy Peach Tsubasa, cool-girl027 and Hayai-Akurei. So many suggestions to choose from! Do you know how hard it is? But very, _very_ much appreciated! THANK YOU!

Disclaimer: No own. :)

Credit: to and cool-girl027! And my friend who sent me this through email! Haha, of course I altered it a bit~

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**L is for List**

Ukitake was looking around for even the tiniest glimpse of the Fuku-Taichou he had arranged to meet. It wasn't long before she came bouncing along with a huge smile on her face. The Taichou clutched the piece of folded paper in his hand tightly. Could he really trust her to deliver it to its destination? Before he could change his mind about his decision, the Fuku-Taichou snatched the paper from Ukitake. Ukitake bit his lip.

"You know where to go, right?"

The Fuku-Taichou waved her hand absentmindedly.

"Of course! Who do you think I am? I'll go deliver it now!"

"Hey, wait! Not _now_; later! Make sure no one sees you deliver it, and the recipient doesn't know it's from me until they read it. I only chose you to deliver this because you will probably pass unnoticed."

But she wasn't listening at all.

"Yeah, yeah, going now! I'll deliver it a bit later."

And she bounced away, leaving a worried Ukitake behind.

'_Did I make the right choice to pick _her_as the delivery person?'_

**

* * *

**

In the deathly silence of night, a lone figure made its way into the Taichou quarters of the Tenth Division. If that person really wanted to hurt the sleeping Taichou, it would have been a reasonably easy task. But instead, the figure left a certain sheet of paper within the room and departed quietly.

It was early in the morning when Hitsugaya opened one of his icy green eyes lazily and was met by a sea of white. Quickly sitting up, he realized the 'sea of white' was just a simple piece of paper. He growled as he unfolded it. Hitsugaya read the title of the note and quickly threw it carelessly onto the ground. He stood up and prepared for the day, leaving the note and the rest of its contents unread.

For now.

As Hitsugaya put his haori on, he recalled the first line on the note.

'_Ten signs that you like someone…'_

He stood up and left his division, making a brisk journey around Sereitei. One could say that it was a coincidence that he bumped into Hinamori, others would say that it was fate.

"Hitsugaya-kun!"

He couldn't keep a smile off his face at the sound of her voice. He looked right into her eyes and realized that the smile was still there. Hitsugaya turned his head around, hiding the blush on his face. Hinamori giggled.

"Come on Hitsugaya-kun! I haven't talked to you for a while. Let's walk around and chat for a bit!"

The Taichou nodded in response and the two began to walk. Surprisingly, Hitsugaya noticed, his usually brisk pace was a lot slower when he walked with Hinamori. Why was that? Whenever Hitsugaya had to walk slowly, it was either out of necessity or because he was behind someone who was walking slowly. But this was different. He was walking slowly on his own will. The two walked side by side around Soul Society, making their way through crowds of people. But for some reason, Hitsugaya could only see Hinamori, no one else. It was half an hour later when Hinamori gasped and explained in a rush that she had work to do. She turned around and ran off into the distance.

Hitsugaya already started to miss her presence beside him.

His brisk pace returned to him as he made his way to the Tenth Division, glaring at anyone who made eye contact with him. Among those people was Ukitake, cringing at the sight of such an angry Shiro-chan.

'_I bet that she got caught when delivering that message…'_

Ukitake sighed and realized he could never trust Yachiru with an important note again, no matter how much candy you bribed her with. But maybe, just maybe, he could use her in a different way.

**

* * *

**

Hitsugaya walked into his office and slammed the door shut, jolting a half asleep Matsumoto into reality again.

"Ah- Taichou!"

"Paperwork, _now_."

Matsumoto sank into silence, a familiar piece of paper in her hand that she had planned to pass to Hitsugaya. Now that she was frozen to her seat by Hitsugaya's cold voice, she couldn't do so. She simply pulled out a pen and worked on her paperwork, surprisingly. Only moments later did Matsumoto drop the pen and get to her feet, proclaiming that she needed to go to the bathroom. Hitsugaya grunted in answer and Matsumoto walked past him, subtly dropping the note into his lap. When Hitsugaya noticed it, he looked all around him, but his Fuku-Taichou was already out of sight. He hesitantly unfolded the paper and took a deep breath before reading it. It was a list.

**-Ten Signs That You Like Someone -**

**1. You walk slowly when you are with them, so you can prolong the time you spend with them**

Hitsugaya thought back to the moment when he was walking with Hinamori, how he recalled that he walked slower but couldn't pinpoint why he did so. Then he remembered all the other times he had walked with Hinamori. Though he hoped it wasn't true, it was undeniable that he had walked slowly at those times too. Is this the solution he was looking for? Hitsugaya shook his head and kept reading.

**2. You smile when you hear their voice**

Again, an undeniable truth. Almost no one could make the usually cold Taichou smile, except Hinamori. It seemed that every time she spoke, his smile would grow wider.

**3. You realize that you're always smiling when you're looking at them**

The smiling thing again. He remembered his meeting with Hinamori today, how he looked away when she saw her face, hiding a blush that was creeping onto his face.

**4. When you look at them, you can't see anyone else, only them**

All those crowds that the two of them had carefully made their way through. Hitsugaya couldn't remember any of the people that he did pass; only Hinamori's smiling pale face was imprinted in his memory.

**5. You act more gentler to them, more than anyone else**

Probably the truest of them all. Nothing more was necessary to be said about this point.

**6. If something ever happened to them, the first person you would blame would be yourself, for not being there**

Ichimaru. Aizen. They had both hurt Hinamori in the past. Hitsugaya remembered with anger and hatred the two of them, but the feeling of pain that had stabbed him when he realized that he had _let _them hurt her was unbearable. Yes, he did blame himself first.

**8. When they leave, you miss them, even though they have only left your side for two minutes**

Hitsugaya's hand started trembling in disbelief. Everything that had been on this list so far related to him. The cold white-haired Taichou was as like ice to almost everyone, Hinamori being the only exception. When Hinamori left, he would revert back to his old self: stoic and emotionless. But deep down, was sadness that Hinamori had to leave.

**9. While reading this, one person has been on your mind**

_'You have to be kidding me!'_

His hand stopped trembling but instead gripped the paper even more tightly. One person...

_'Hinamori...'_

**10. You were so busy thinking about Hinamori that you didn't realize that 7. was missing. I'm surprised other Shiro-chan, being the child prodigy you are, you surely must know how to count!**

Hitsugaya stood up slowly, seething. The overall room temperature seemed to decrease. Matsumoto, who was hiding in a nearby room started to shiver; she knew exactly what was coming next.

"UKITAKE!!"

The sound of familiar brisk footsteps and a door being slammed shut was heard. Matsumoto crawled out fearfully and started hugging herself. Yes, it was_ that _cold. Matsumoto cringed. She knew that Ukitake had purposely done what he had done, but she also knew that he surely wasn't prepared for what was coming to the Thirteenth Division at that very moment.

**

* * *

**

A door was slammed open in the same fashion that the door of the Tenth Division was closed. The two Third-Seats quickly bounced into action, standing before Ukitake in foolish defensive stances. Hitsugaya glared daggers at them and they slowly moved to the side. After a quiet command from the Thirteenth Division's Taichou, the two of them left the room, throwing worried glances back at their Taichou. Ukitake greeted the young Taichou calmly.

"Why hello Shiro-chan, isn't it a nice day to--"

Hitsugaya held the sheet of paper which he still held out at Ukitake, piercing glare offered at him simultaneously. He spoke in deathly calm tones.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Ukitake rubbed the back of his neck jokingly.

"Well, I found this list lying around and I noticed how it would fit you and Hinamori very well, so I added a few changed here and there and then..."

Hitsugaya's voice became even softer, but it made it sound all the more evil.

"And why would it fit me and Hinamori very well?"

"Because you like her."

The young Taichou blinked. A lot of people would have hesitated.

_'Well, he sure put it bluntly.'_

"And what makes you think that?"

Instead of answering, Ukitake plucked the note out of Hitsugaya's hands, unfolded it and shoved it back into his face. A cheeky grin was on his face all the while. It really amused him how Hitsugaya could be so fun to annoy. But of course at the same time, pretty dangerous.

"Which one of the points on this list isn't true?"

"I- Uh- The fifth one!"

Hitsugaya didn't even look, he picked a random number and hoped that he could wiggle his way out of the dillema that he had managed to emerse himself in. Ukitake raised an eyebrow before turning the paper around and reading point number five out loud to Hitsugaya.

"You act more gently to them, more than anyone else."

Hitsugaya cringed. Of all the points he could have picked, he had to pick the one that was the truest of them all. But either way, he had to start talking or he would never be able to leave the Thirteenth Division without confessing his love for the Fifth Division's Fuku-Taichou.

"I don't act more gentle to Hinamori; I just act more..."

He drifted off. What could he possibly end the sentence he had just started with? He had simply just backed himself into a corner with no escape. The next word that rolled off Hitsugaya's tongue would be his death.

"Kind to her."

The tall white haired man started to laugh, the sound rebounding off the walls around him. He started to gasp for air, the result was a coughing fit. When the coughing finally subsided, Ukitake had to fight to keep himself from laughing again.

"Shiro-chan, I'm really beginning to doubt that you are a child prodigy. Would you like me to get you a thesaurus? Gentle and kind mean the same thing!"

With a sudden transformation, Ukitake lowered his voice into a serious tone.

"Can you just admit that you like her?"

He had never planned to admit this (yet) and he knew that he would probably regret what he was going to say next, but at that moment, it didn't matter. There was no other way he could leave. Hitsugaya took a deep breath.

"So what if I do?"

"Great! Now repeat after me: I like Hinamori."

Hitsugaya's eye twitched.

"_What_?! Are you getting me to meditate now?!"

"Just say it."

"... I like Hinamori."

"Okay, you can go now!"

Hitsugaya walked very slowly out of the Thirteenth Division. Something was not right. In fact, something was very, very wrong. Ukitake wouldn't possibly have let him leave so easily, unless he had obtained what he wanted. The Taichou of the Thirteenth Division had something planned, but Hitsugaya didn't know what.

And he hoped that he would never find out.

**

* * *

**

It was only two days later when Yachiru started running laps around Sereitei, carrying a tape recorder playing at full volume. The pink-haired Fuku-Taichou seemed to have eaten _quite_ a bit of candy, thus resulting in a massive sugar rush. Everywhere she ran, people would come out of their buildings to see what was going on. The sound of the tape recording was played again and again in many various locations.

"... I like Hinamori."

"EVERYONE HEAR THAT?! SHORTY LIKES PEACHY!"

And so it would repeat, over and over.

Hitsugaya felt like burying himself under _anything_. And in another division far, far away, Ukitake could only smile at his handiwork.

_'I guess Yachiru can be a good delivery person.'_

* * *

A/N: The End! This chapter was kinda random and long, but I hope you readers liked it! :) Well, I'm still very new to fanfiction, so I've only recently discovered this magical thing called 'Review Replies'. I'll admit I feel kinda slow, but I'll reply to you all now~!

Ideas for 'M' will be very much loved! Thank you! And just out of curiousity, anyone happenknow 'Smiling Pasta'? XD

&. strawberrii


	13. M Is For 'Meet Me'

A/N: Hey guys, strawberrii is _back_! And she's gotten to the _halfway mark_! Yes, I'm gonna throw an imaginary party in my head when this chapter is finished; you're all invited ;)

Thanks to all reviewers, and in particular Assault Godzilla, 123PIKACHU, Hayai-Akurei, Charmed3366, ShadowedDagger Rips Asunder, cherry, and Snowy Peach Tsubasa! Together, you guys came up with over 50 ideas!

As someone has pointed out, a lot of these one-shots are focused on Hitsugaya. Next chapter will be Hinamori-centric! Yay?

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. So sad~

Credit: To sasukefan1! It's a weird story, but I'll explain later; read on for now~

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**M is for 'Meet Me'**

"MATSUMOTO!"

The strawberry-blonde Fuku-Taichou quickly got to her feet and walked towards the voice that had called her, unstably. Sake bottles could be found on the ground with droplets of sake visible on the floorboards. The Taichou at the doorway could only glare.

"Have you done _any _of the paperwork?"

The Fuku-Taichou shook her head. Hitsugaya stood at the door, not moving or saying anything at all; his eyes did all the talking. Matsumoto gave a quick yelp before moving as quickly as she could in her drunken state to the desk. Hitsugaya sighed in annoyance, seating himself at another desk and starting on another pile of paperwork. Matsumoto picked up a pen and started twirling it around, making marks on the paper every ten minutes or so. And every ten minutes, Hitsugaya's face darkened. An hour slowly passed before Hitsugaya exploded.

"Is it that hard to sign a paper that you have to wait ten whole minutes to move onto another one?!"

Matsumoto whined.

"But Taichou! I can't do this stuff when I'm still drunk."

Hitsugaya couldn't believe this; he simply pointed at the door.

"Out. And come back when you're sober."

"Fine!"

Matsumoto got to her feet and started bumping into objects all around the room; her walking wobbly. When she reached the door, she fumbled with it before exiting. Hitsugaya frowned; something was not right. The 'drunkness' Matsumoto had just demonstrated almost looked like it was done…

On purpose.

**

* * *

**

As soon as the door closed behind her, Matsumoto pulled out Haineko and quickly made her way to the human world; she didn't do the whole 'I'm-still-drunk' act for no reason.

Matsumoto scanned the houses until she finally found the one she was looking for. Making a run for it, she reached the house within five minutes and pounded on the door. An orange haired girl opened it and looked at the Fuku-Taichou in surprise.

"Rangiku-san?!"

"Orihime, did you get the thing that I asked you to get?"

The girl grinned.

"Yes! You don't know how perfect it is! Wait here, I'll show you!"

Orihime rushed into the room and showed the object to Matsumoto, and she grinned. It was perfect. No, beyond perfect. Matsumoto gave Orihime a big hug of gratitude before taking her leave. Just before she ran back to Soul Society, the girl gave the Fuku-Taichou one more thing.

"Here! Have a slice of this wasabi cake I made last night! That way you won't go hungry on your journey back!"

Matsumoto didn't know how to thank Orihime for all her kindness.

"Arigato Orihime! I promise I'll visit again soon and tell you what happens!"

With that, the Fuku-Taichou sped off leaving a confused Orihime behind her.

**

* * *

**

When Matsumoto arrived back in Sereitei, the first place she went to was surprisingly not her own division. Her footsteps took her swiftly to the Fifth Division to find a certain Fuku-Taichou.

"Ah! Rangiku-san! What are you doing here?"

Hinamori smiled at the Fuku-Taichou; they hadn't caught up for a long while, and she was happy at a chance to talk to her again.

"Hinamori, can you follow me please? And be really quiet, I don't want anyone noticing us!"

Hinamori raised an eyebrow and looked at the large plastic bag Matsumoto held in her hand. She stretched her neck, trying to get a glimpse of what it was, but to no avail. The Fuku-Taichou of the Fifth Division sighed.

"Rangiku-san, what is in that bag?"

"Nothing, nothing!"

Hinamori didn't look to sure, but didn't question her any further, instead following Matsumoto wordlessly to wherever she was taking her. They made their way silently through gardens and behind trees to avoid attracting attention, and eventually found themselves in the Fuku-Taichou quarters of the Tenth Division. Matsumoto dragged Hinamori into the room eagerly.

"Hinamori, Hinamori! Put this on quickly and sit at that desk over there."

Here Matsumoto paused to point at the desk and handed the bag, and its contents, to the confused Fuku-Taichou.

"And then, cross your arms on the table and then put your head on your arms facedown and make sure that no one can see-- Ah! It's too complicated to describe! I'll show you instead!"

Matsumoto quickly ran over to the desk and got into the position she was trying to describe. It was basically the position Matsumoto would take when she was drunk and half asleep, her face completely covered. Hinamori giggled.

"Just like that! You better get changed in five minutes and sit at the desk like that! I'll be right back! Don't make a sound or look up until I tell you to, okay?"

Still confused, Hinamori just nodded and Matsumoto departed with a huge grin. Hinamori was all alone in Matsumoto's quarters now. She opened the bag and tipped the contents onto the floor; the Fuku-Taichou sweatdropped at the sight.

'_What is Rangiku-san up to with this?'_

But Hinamori put the thing on and assumed the position Matsumoto wanted. She stifled a yawn. Actually, it was fairly easy to fall asleep on a desk, but Hinamori had to stay awake; she had to get to the bottom of this strange event.

**

* * *

**

"I'm back, Taichou! Did you miss me?"

"… No."

Matsumoto's grin was wiped off her face; not that it mattered. Besides, they were about to discuss some very serious matters and Matsumoto's childish grin would just ruin the mood.

"Taichou, remember that thing we discussed a week ago?"

Hitsugaya dropped the pen he was writing with and rubbed his temples. How could he possibly forget?

"_You know Taichou… there are so many ways you could confess your love to Hinamori!"_

"_How many times do I have to tell you that I don't love her? We're just good friends!"_

"_Mhmm, that's like saying that Hyourinmaru is the strongest fire element zanpakutou!"_

_The young Taichou flinched._

"_I'm serious though Matsumoto! We are only fri--"_

"_LET'S SEE HYOURINMARU BREATHE FIRE!"_

"_MATSUMOTO!"_

_The Fuku-Taichou sighed._

"_Fine, I'll believe you under one condition."_

_Hitsugaya looked up with a glare. He was certain he could meet any condition Matsumoto thought of. After all, he didn't really think of Hinamori as anything more than a friend. Right?_

"_Look me in the eye and say that you don't like Hinamori."_

"_But I do like her, as a _friend_"_

"_Then say that you don't like Hinamori as anything more than friend!"_

_Hitsugaya's green-blue eyes met Matsumoto's blue-grey ones. The Taichou took a deep breath and closed his eyes._

"_I don't like Hinamori as anything more than a friend."_

_The Fuku-Taichou grinned in triumph and pointed at her Taichou. Then she started performing a victory dance around the room, and Hitsugaya was lost as to why._

"_Because," she began, "you closed your eyes when you said that! You _couldn't _look me in the eye!"_

_The Taichou groaned; it was just one of those automatic reactions, it didn't mean anything! But Matsumoto didn't think so, and she wouldn't shut up anymore. She raised a single finger._

"_One week! Give me one week to think of interesting ways for you to confess your love to Hinamori!"_

"Well! I've thought of so many interesting possibilities! I have this huge list in my room! I'll go first; you take a few seconds to straighten up that pile of paperwork and come meet me in my room!"

With that Matsumoto bounced off. She exited the room and then tiptoed quietly to the entrance of the Tenth Division. The Fuku-Taichou waited for Hitsugaya to start walking towards her quarters before she entered the Tenth Division again, and quietly followed her Taichou, trying her best not to laugh.

**

* * *

**

The snowy-haired Taichou slammed the door to Matsumoto's quarters open loudly. He glared at the strawberry blonde figure who was slumped over the desk, probably half asleep. Hitsugaya noticed a bottle of sake spilled on the floor. He walked towards her and stood behind her angrily, the door closing behind him slowly.

"Oi! Matsumoto! I leave you for _one second_and you're already drunk and asleep?"

The figure stirred slightly, but not much. The Taichou scowled.

"Hurry up, let's hear some of your ideas! How am I going to confess my love to Hinamori?"

Then the door behind Hitsugaya opened widely, causing the Taichou to turn and look, revealing a Matsumoto who was grinning from ear to ear. The Taichou almost chocked.

'_What. Is. Going. ON?!'_

Hitsugaya quickly turned back and looked at the other strawberry blonde person who was slowly raising her head now. When she turned her head around, Hitsugaya recognized familiar brown eyes. The girl reached a hand up to her head and took off the wig Matsumoto had given her. Matsumoto stood at the door, grinning like a little kid. Then she answered her Taichou's question cheekily.

"Just like that!"

* * *

A/N: Now the question I'm sure you're all _dying_ to know the answer to: How did this idea form? Let's just say sasukefan1 got bored during our Japanese lesson and started designing new hairstyles for me... Then the teacher thought I was someone else! I know that the link from that to this story is a little blurred, but still! :)

Ooh, I have one quick question: Are there any chapters that you wish to see a sequel to? If so, please tell me in a review so I can find a letter of the alphabet suited for the role!

And... Yay! Halfway mark! -throws a party, gives cookies and balloons to everyone- Thirteen more chapters to go~

&. strawberrii


	14. N Is For Never Again

A/N: strawberrii is so very sorry! Originally, this story (and a few of my other ones) would've been updated a _long_ time ago. Sadly, my computer died (R.I.P.) and I couldn't get access to the internet. But! On a more cheerful note, i_t's the holidays_! Which means, quicker updates... hopefully!

Arigato Claire, Hayai-Akurei, 123PIKACHU and Snowy Peach Tsubasa for ideas! I think leaving off the little note at the end might have given the impression that I already had an idea. But remember, I always love your suggestions! :)

Credits: To Hayai-Akurei and Snowy Peach Tsubasa. Thank you so much for all the suggestions you gave in the PM, Snowy Peach Tsubasa! When I read 'Near Death Experience', this idea popped into my head! When I came up with the title and then checked my reviews, I realized that Hayai-Akurei had suggested this too! So arigato to you both! :)

Disclaimer: -yawn- No need to say it, you all know it.

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

-Sequel to 'G is for Guilt'-

**N is for Never Again**

'_Why is it so dark?'_

Hinamori Momo's eyes were shut tightly; it was no wonder that her world was pitch black. However, the strange thing was when she realized that fact and opened her eyes, it made no difference whatsoever.

'_Why?'_

The Fuku-Taichou closed her eyes again and tried to recall what had happened before this darkness had swallowed her. She went through everything that she could remember slowly, until she could finally pinpoint the moment she last saw light. It didn't take long for Hinamori to realize that it was impossible.

"What is going on?!"

It was a loud shout, almost like it was demanding an answer from anyone. Hinamori could feel tears springing to her eyes, but she noticed that somehow the tears never came, just like how the answer she wanted never came.

And that was when it hit her.

Not only could she see nothing, she couldn't hear anything except herself, and judging by the response to her yell, no one could hear her either. Hinamori reached out a single hand in front of herself and just as she expected, she couldn't see it. If she could cry, Hinamori would have definitely burst into tears, but all she could feel was an annoying prickle behind her eyes.

'_I feel so... alone.'_

Suddenly, a sharp, cold gust of wind hit Hinamori. Usually, such a thing would have left the girl shivering and hugging herself. This time, the wind felt surprisingly warm and comforting. Why was that?

'_Shiro-chan.'_

Gently, white specks of snow began to descend from above. Hinamori had suspected that she wouldn't be able to see anything; why could she see this snow? Each tiny dot looked like a star, falling slowly downwards, only barely lighting up her otherwise black world. Hinamori gasped; she wasn't alone. A single figure, completely covered with snow, was sitting casually and looking out into space. Though it was fairly obvious that the figure was a person, it seemed that at the same time, it wasn't a person. Slowly, step by step, Hinamori walked up to the snowy figure.

"Anou, excuse me-"

The person turned around and looked at her with brilliant emerald eyes. Hinamori felt her heart skip a beat. All of a sudden, she found it difficult to breathe; she would recognize those eyes anywhere. The Fuku-Taichou rushed forward and hugged the person. But the moment the two of them made contact, Hinamori knew for a fact that the person wasn't a living being.

"Hitsugaya-kun-!"

The pair of emerald eyes blinked in surprise at the mention of that name. Without opening his mouth, he responded. Hinamori could hear everything he said perfectly well, almost like the boy was projecting the words directly into Hinamori's mind.

"_Yes?"_

"What are you doing?"

Hitsugaya stood up and pointed a single figure in the direction in which he had been staring at previously. Once again, without even moving his mouth, the words were in her head.

"_I'm watching the sunset."_

"What do you mean? There's nothing there; it's just a complete sea of emptiness!"

"_That's because you're not here with me."_

"Not here?"

With knowing eyes, Hitsugaya looked at her carefully.

"_You're in a different world right now."_

The 'different world' Hinamori was in started spinning around, and she felt her own body grow weak. When at last, she could stand no more, she fell; only to be caught by Hitsugaya just in time. Her voice was shaky when she spoke again.

"How do I get out of this world? Can you help me Hitsugaya-kun?"

The Taichou shook his head sadly, his blue-green eyes shining with grief and sorrow. Hinamori knew that if he could, Hitsugaya would help her without question. Hitsugaya then turned his gaze back to the vast emptiness where the supposed sunset was and the two of them stood in silence for a few minutes. Abruptly, Hitsugaya started walking away.

"A- Anou, Hitsugaya-kun-"

"_The sunset is gone, and I need to go now."_

The snow that had been falling nonstop was beginning to slow its relentless pace.

"_I'll see you again, in the world where we belong."_

"How will I get there?"

"_Only you can work that out."_

"I- I can't."

Hitsugaya shunpoed behind the Fuku-Taichou

"_Hinamori, you can do it if you believe in yourself."_

The snow covered figure walked towards the girl slowly. He put his hand on Hinamori's cheek and caressed it gently with a soft smile on his face. She knew his hand was not really there, but it felt like it was. Hinamori closed her eyes. The gentleness of Hitsugaya's hand faded away from her face, and then she felt something in her hand. This object, unlike Hitsugaya's touch, felt very real.

"_Hinamori, you can do it; I'll be waiting for you."_

The Fuku-Taichou's eyes shot wide open. The winter wonderland around her was slowly disappearing, and so was Hitsugaya. Hinamori felt a single tear roll down her cheek ever so slowly; finally, she could show her emotions. Though he himself was fading away, Hitsugaya's voice was as clear as ever.

"_We will watch the sunset again. Together, bed-wetter."_

And Hinamori's world became a sea of black again. Every sign that she had even talked to Hitsugaya was gone, nothing remained. Hinamori fell to her knees as tears that were previously bottled up fell freely. Everything was gone. Hinamori noticed that unlike before, she could see her own hand now; but she dismissed the discovery and continued to sob. She looked at the object Hitsugaya had given her before he disappeared; it was a white sheet of paper. Hinamori hastily wiped her tears away; not everything was gone. She unfolded the paper and she began to smile. The Fuku-Taichou hugged the piece of paper tightly and suddenly she began to glow. Hinamori closed her eyes as if she were going to sleep.

_We will __watch the sunset again… together._

With a lot of effort, Hinamori opened one eye just the tiniest bit. The world wasn't black anymore, it looked like a room, but her vision was slightly blurred. She could see a figure hovering over her in concern, a white haired figure. It took almost all her energy to raise a single hand, and the bit remaining to say three syllables.

"Shiro-chan..."

The Taichou took Hinamori's hand and squeezed it softly before gently caressing her cheek, just like how he had in that other strange world. With just a single touch, Hinamori felt all her energy return, she sat up and threw her arms around Hitsugaya and cried. The piece of paper originally in her hand flew to the ground and landed face up, a beautiful drawing of a sunset depicted on it. For only a moment, Hitsugaya felt his body freeze from surprise. His face then softened and he hugged the crying girl tightly and whispered in her ear:

"Never again, will I let you go."

* * *

A/N: Haha, yeah. Pretty weird, I know :) Anyways, 'O'! Well, I don't have any brilliant ideas right now, and I don't mind having a bit of help; will be very much appreciated! :D

For those who read 'Spread Your Wings' and 'Smiling Pasta: HitsuHina', both of them should be updated at latest by tomorrow~

Oh yes! I'm still taking sequel request, and I will try to get around to most of them! :D

&. strawberrii


	15. O Is For Orientation

A/N: Well, I started making all my other stories more, I guess you could say, professional looking? Haha, so I'm gonna start doing so for this story too! Who knows, if I can be stuffed, I'll change all my previous chapters too! But then, I'm very lazy, so I doubt it! Maybe if I get _really_ bored. (NOTE; 7/10/09 Hah, I got bored!)

Anyways! I'll take this moment now to warn everyone: updates will most likely be slow from now on, but I will try my best! Reason? Because strawberrii has to be a good girl and work _extra_hard at school so her mom won't pull her out of Japanese Exchange! Yes, it means a lot to me. So, I'm very sorry and I hope you can understand~

Thank you to Assault Godzilla, 123PIKACHU, sma4eva, Snowy Peach Tsubasa, and Hayai-Akurei. It's always great to have readers give their suggestions whenever I'm stuck! Arigato :)

Disclaimer: Okay, if I owned Bleach, don't you think I would have totally _HitsuHina-fied _it by now?

Credit: Mmh… Well, I guess if I really had to pick something to give credit to, I would grudgingly give it to my geography lessons. _Grudgingly._

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**O is For Orientation**

The Taichou of the Tenth Division groaned. It was just one of those days when you would wake up in morning to see no point in actually _getting_ up. Rising reluctantly from his futon, Hitsugaya put his haori on slowly, eyes still half closed. When a strip of paper suddenly fluttered to the ground, his eyes snapped open.

"Hm?"

The paper appeared to be blank on one side. The young Taichou flipped the strip around and saw two lines of messy handwriting and one word in brackets.

_In the Tenth Division, wander around;_

_Look for a message that is green and round._

_(North)_

The handwriting appeared to be scrawled in a rush or something; it was almost illegible. The two S's in 'message' were backwards and the E's in 'green' looked more like squiggles. Stuffing the paper into his pocket, Hitsugaya decided to ignore the unusual message until a later time. Opening the door to his office with a sigh, knowing that a large pile of paperwork would be there to greet him, Hitsugaya walked in unenthusiastically. Imagine his shock when he realized there was no 'Mt Paperwork' to greet him. Instead, a note written on a piece of light pink paper shaped like a peach was in its place. Hitsugaya frowned and read the first line of the note out loud.

"Shiro-chan."

The Taichou growled. Upon seeing the peach shaped paper, Hitsugaya was already fairly sure that the note-writer would be a female. When he read how the note-writer had addressed him, only one possible suspect remained.

'_Hinamori…'_

He continued to read.

"Strangely this morning, I realized there was no paperwork in my division. Seeing as how compared to your paperwork share, mine is more… _manageable_, I thought maybe I could help you out a little; you know, give you some free time. Consider today a holiday, Shiro-chan. No need to thank me either. Today you can just wander around and do some things you usually wouldn't have time for.

Hinamori Momo

PS. Don't worry about me either; I have more free time than you anyway."

Hitsugaya shook his head in disbelief; leave it to Hinamori to do something like this! He folded the note up and placed it carefully in his pocket, his fingers gently brushed over the odd note he had found this morning. The Taichou paused to think.

'_Do things I usually wouldn't have time for, eh?"_

Almost unconsciously, Hitsugaya fished the white strip from his pocket and reread it to refresh his memory. The first two lines weren't a big help; they would only be of use when he minimized the number of possible locations. After all, the Tenth Division was a pretty large place. The thing that would most likely help the child prodigy now was the word 'north', scribbled at the very bottom.

'_Which direction is north?'_

Walking over to a drawer briskly and pulling it out fully, Hitsugaya rummaged through its entire contents until he finally found what he needed: a compass. Within no time, one of the arrows on the compass pointed Hitsugaya to the direction of north. Now he was lost in deep thought.

'_The… kitchen?'_

Hitsugaya put the compass back into the now messy drawer, quickly walking towards the Tenth Division's kitchen. The room was silent with nothing very fascinating in particular; a sink, a microwave, a fridge, an oven. Just your average kitchen. Hitsugaya looked at the note again.

'_Green and round.'_

The Taichou leaned against the fridge in frustration. There were a lot of things that were green and round, like tennis balls or watermelons. Except, you wouldn't usually find a tennis ball in a kitchen and you wouldn't normally find a waterme--

…

"Watermelon!"

Quickly getting off the fridge and yanking the door open widely, Hitsugaya found a single green, round watermelon sitting at the bottom. Picking it up carefully, the Taichou turned it around to find a similar strip of paper stuck on the fruit.

_Only in the garden, in front of number one,_

_Violet flowers blooming, and a note glinting in the sun._

_(South)_

Without even waiting for a second upon the completion of reading the second message, Hitsugaya walked in the opposite direction in which he had come; that had to be south. Soon Hitsugaya was met with a door which symbolized leaving the Tenth Division. With a gentle breeze blowing the Taichou in the correct direction, Hitsugaya almost felt as if it wasn't necessary for him to walk, that some invisible force was going to help him solve this strange navigational case. He cast a look to his left, seeing tall trees that littered the ground below with a pink wonderland, giving the surrounding area a soft scent; cherry blossom trees. Hitsugaya turned his head back towards a southerly direction and continued marching forward until he realized where he was.

The First Division.

Suddenly, the 'in front of number one' part made sense. The garden and the violet flowers were self-explanatory at this point too. As far as Hitsugaya was concerned, 'glinting' was the only clue he needed to find the next message. His dazzling emerald eyes scanned the landscape until he caught a tiny glimpse of gold between two extremely dark purple colored violets. No mistake, it was the next note, outlined in a sparkly golden color.

_Every year, at this time, pink falls from the skies;_

_You'll have to look harder now, my note is in disguise!_

_(East)_

His vivid memory of the cherry blossom trees he had passed earlier were easily pictured in his head. Hitsugaya retraced his steps until he could see the stunning blossoms at his right. The child prodigies speedy, walking footsteps quickly became speedy, running footsteps. His feet sank deep into the soft, seemingly untouched petals. It felt like Hitsugaya was walking on a pink carpet, softer than anyone could ever imagine. He took a few more steps forward, letting the strange sensation sink in. It was peculiar how the cherry blossoms had no trouble in covering the sound of even the loudest footsteps. Hitsugaya took another step forward.

CRUNCH!

The tensai bent down, and started digging through the pile of petals underneath his foot. It was the note; nothing else could have ruined such silence, such softness. When he finally managed to separate the note from the petals, Hitsugaya noticed why it was more difficult than normal: the note was the exact same shade of pink as the cherry blossoms. But strangely, this wasn't the fact that stood out most to the Tenth Division's Taichou. It was the fact that the pink piece of paper he had just found was in the shape of a peach, just like another note he had found a lot earlier in the day.

_Only a few more seconds 'til this game is over, can you guess who?_

_Underestimating my skills? Look behind you!!_

_(West)_

This was it. When Hitsugaya turned around to face west, he would see the person who had sent him on this strange journey. He already had a pretty good idea about who it was, but he had no idea what her objective was. He took a deep breath and slowly turned to face west, opening his mouth to greet the person Hitsugaya was sure he would meet.

"Hinamo--"

He knew he was right about who it was, but he was definitely _way _off the mark as to why she would do this. The Fuku-Taichou had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and had wordlessly captured his lips into a passionate kiss. Hitsugaya had no intention of fighting back, even if he was shocked and disorientated. The kiss seemed to last forever; it even gave Hitsugaya enough time to realize something: the writing in the four notes had transformed without him noticing. The first note was messily written with all sorts of errors. When Hitsugaya had reached the final note, it was already unmistakable as to who's handwriting it was; it was Hinamori's perfect, flawless writing. The two broke their kiss, the dark-eyed girl smiling sheepishly.

"Did you get the message?"

"I got _four_ messages."

"I mean… the _hidden _one."

"What?"

Hinamori recited the four notes off by heart slowly.

**I** n the Tenth Division, wander around;

**L** ook for a message that is green and round.

**O** nly in the garden, in front of number one,

**V** iolet flowers blooming, and a note glinting in the sun.

**E **very year, at this time, pink falls from the skies;

**Y **ou'll have to look harder now, my note is in disguise!

**O** nly a few more seconds 'til this game is over, can you guess who?

**U** nderestimating my skills? Look behind you!!

The white-haired boy looked completely at loss. Hinamori could only sigh; he was a child prodigy! It was amazing how some things could be plainly obvious to some, and unbelievable obscure to others. The Fuku-Taichou gave Hitsugaya a quick peck on the cheek before whispering into his ear.

"I'll only give you a few hints. Put each note under one another, and then-" she paused to think of an ambiguous way to help the Taichou out. "Then think, 'first', and I mean REALLY first! If it isn't clearly obvious then, think one, four, three!"

Hitsugaya was as puzzled as ever. The clues seemed to have just made things even harder for him. Before he could grab her hand and prevent her from leaving without explaining, Hinamori started skipping away towards her division, calling back from over her shoulder with a huge smile:

"Visit me when you've worked it out, Shiro-chan!"

Her sweet laughter floated lightly on the wind.

* * *

A/N: Done! Another random one-shot by strawberrii completed, yay! Anyways, what I said in my A/N at the start isn't completely right; I think the next two chapters won't take that long to come out. Why? Because I already have ideas! Yes, Shock! Horror! xD

Well, even though I have an idea for 'P' and 'Q', I still love suggestions! I really, really do! :)

And once again, sorry for the late update! I've been quite tied up lately! Please review and tell me how I'm doing so far! Only eleven more! Seems like so much, but I will get there! _Ganbatteimasu!_

&. strawberrii


	16. P Is For Parrot

A/N: Okay, I've already had my _"Ah, I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long" _rant on my other story, so I'm gonna be all happy here :) I'm sorry for the _huge_ gap between my updates, but I really hope that you guys can all put up with me till the end. Your reviews and support mean the world to me. _Arigato~_

My all too important thank you list! Thank you to SunsetRainbow, Assault Godzilla, ShadowedDagger Rips Asunder, Plushietiger, Hayai-Akurei, MadeOfAwesome and Haotorine-Rene. Every idea is valued, all of them inspire stories in future chapters and I really, truly appreciate it.

Credit: No idea really; this idea just occurred to me. The plot bunny said '_write this story, damnit'_. Who could say no?

Disclaimer: strawberrii does not own Bleach; but a girl can dream, right?

Ooh! And please read the A/N at the bottom, usually you can just ignore my rambling, but I'd like you to read this one! :)

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**P is for Parrot**

"Anou ne… what do you think we should do, Hitsugaya-kun?"

"…"

"Hitsugaya-kun?"

"…"

"We can't just leave it like this; we need to do something about it!"

The child prodigy sighed. Hitsugaya looked at the colorful bird that was on the doorstep of the Tenth Division, unable to fly because one wing was injured. Hinamori bent down and peered at the parrot closely. Its eyes were bright and intelligent, not the eyes of a wild bird. Hinamori felt a sudden urge to pet the bird on its soft and feathery head. The parrot closed its eyes in content. In a quick movement, Hinamori scooped the bird up in both her hands and hugged it close to her.

"Any ideas, Hitsugaya-kun?"

Hitsugaya closed his eyes, forehead creased. A moment later, emerald eyes could be seen again and the Taichou finally spoke.

"Fourth Division."

"Eh?! But its an _animal._"

But Hitsugaya was already meters in front of her, leading the way. Hinamori had no choice but to follow, parrot held tightly in her hands.

**

* * *

**

"Well, this is quite an unusual case…"

It was quite an unusual sight too: the Taichou and the Fuku-Taichou of the Fourth Division crowding around a single patient smaller than a hand with the Taichou of the Tenth Division looking bored and the Fuku-Taichou of the Fifth Division looking in deep concern. It was quite a mix of people.

"I guess all I can say is let it heal on its own."

Isane nodded, agreeing with her Taichou's wise words; how would you know if painkillers worked on animals too? Strangely enough, Unohana managed to find an empty bird cage and carefully placed the parrot inside, allowing it to perch on a stick. Unohana continued to gaze at it in wonder.

"You know, I've heard that these birds can learn human speech."

Hinamori's eyes widened in shock and excitement.

"Really?! Wow, I wonder if I can teach it how to say my name!"

Unohana smiled at the young Fuku-Taichou.

"Apparently, five days is all it takes to teach one of these birds someth-"

Footsteps that were gradually getting softer and softer could be heard, and it didn't take a genius to figure out who was missing.

"Hitsugaya-kun!"

The footsteps stopped, but you could hear the boredom in Hitsugaya's voice when he called back in response.

"Don't waste your time; that bird can't do anything."

Hinamori bit her lip in anger. Even if the thing in question wasn't human, Hitsugaya had no right to say such things about it. It was the first time that anyone had ever seen Hinamori lose her calm composure.

"I bet I could teach it more words than you could _any day_."

Hitsugaya's returning footsteps were soundless, but he was by the door in a flash, his piercing green eyes already accepting the challenge. Unohana didn't need any words to be said; she quickly laid down the rules for the challenge.

"Hinamori, you get five days with the parrot first. Hitsugaya, you get the parrot for the five days after that. Both of you have to teach the parrot your own name and something of your own choice."

There were eager nods from both sides. Isane stifled a laugh; this seemed too much like a childish thing that the two of them would have done when they were much younger. Unohana continued.

"And on the morning of the eleventh day, both of you and the parrot will demonstrate the progress you have made. Winner is the one who teaches the parrot something more intriguing."

"Okay, I'll take the parrot now!"

Hinamori's eyes were blazing with enthusiasm. There were so many things she could teach it, so many interesting words it could learn. She didn't know where she would begin. And the glory! If she beat Hitsugaya, she couldn't even begin to imagine it.

"You're on, bed-wetter. See you in five days with that bird."

With a shunpo, he was gone. And with quick squeal of excitement, she was gone too.

"Isane, pass on the message to all Taichous and Fuku-Taichous to come to the Fourth Division in eleven days time."

"Hai."

**

* * *

**

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Na."

"Na."

"Mo."

"Moaa."

"Ri."

"Raai."

The days had gone by so quickly, and the bird still hadn't learnt Hinamori's name. Slowly, she started to feel a little frustrated, but she never lost hope.

"Hinamori."

"Hinamooaaraii."

The Fuku-Taichou smiled her most reassuring smile.

"It's okay, you got the 'Hina' part right! Good job! Now, let's review your numbers."

The brunette decided that a bird who could count to five would be quite an amazing sight, she started teaching it numbers from the very first minute. She lifted up one finger and added one after every squawked word.

"One, two, three, five."

The parrot started shrieking noisily. Hinamori petted its head softly, letting out a soft sigh. From tomorrow onwards, Hitsugaya was going to have his shot at teaching the bird. Regret seeped into her; she shouldn't have made that challenging remark. Now she was going to be utterly humiliated. Hinamori whispered to the bird quietly.

"Don't forget 'four'. Four, four, four, four, four."

And the tired girl fell asleep, with the clueless bird by her side.

**

* * *

**

"Okay, repeat after me: Bakudo no ichi, sai!"

"…"

"Bakudo."

"Bakaawdoaa!"

The Taichou groaned. This was far more worse than anything he could have anticipated. At first, the idea of a bird casting kido spells was quite appealing; however it didn't take long for Hitsugaya to notice that the bird wasn't as smart as he had hoped.

"Okay, you know what? Just get my name right: Hi-Tsu-Ga-Ya."

The poor parrot appeared to be struggling. It squawked a few times in a way that you could almost feel its mental agony.

"Hi… Tsu… Bakaa!"

Twitch.

"Okay, I'm just not even going to try. Why? Because I know that you will never, EVER, get anything right!"

The colorful bird was neglected for the next four days, kept in a room far, far away from Hitsugaya's office so its loud squawks could not be heard. However, amongst all the squawking, the bird had happened to have learnt two new words.

"Never? Ever?"

The eleventh day drew closer and closer.

**

* * *

**

While on his way to the Fourth Division, carrying the parrot, Hitsugaya bumped into Hinamori. They both stuck their tongues out at each other and walked together for the rest of the journey, occasionally casting quick glances at the other.

Neither of them were prepared for the sight behind those doors.

Everyone from Yamamoto So-Taichou to Ukitake-Taichou was there. Yachiru bounded forward and started staring at the parrot curiously, offering it some candy. Unohana clapped twice and the whole crowd was silenced.

"Hitsugaya, Hinamori, please bring the bird to the center of the room."

The little crowd of three slowly made their way through the big crowd around them and took center stage. Hinamori began to shake from nervousness; she hadn't expected this! This was meant to be a small, childish game.

"Okay, Hinamori, you may begin. Please demonstrate what you have taught the parrot."

The Fuku-Taichou took in a deep breath before beginning.

"In the five days I spent with this parrot, I've managed to teach it how to co-"

It's a mystery about life how some things stick in one's mind more easily than others; how random words that are remembered can be stringed together to mean something utterly different, but at times absolutely beautiful and adorable too. Hinamori's speech was interrupted by an ear-splitting screech that silenced everyone. Then the parrot made a speech of its own.

"Hitsu! Hina! Four! Ever! Never? Ever! Bakaa!"

But the room had already erupted into laughter and amusement after the first four words that no one even noticed the random words following. Hinamori covered her face with her hands and Hitsugaya turned redder than Renji's hair. Sure, it sounded weird for a parrot to start it all, but no one in the room disagreed:

_HitsuHina Forever_

* * *

A/N: Hm… yes, pretty random idea that popped out of no where which made a pretty random story. And if you read my A/N at the top, you'll remember that I had something to importantish to say. Oh, and cookie for actually listening to me! :)

Next Chapter: **Q is for Q and A**

And do you know what that means? Yup! Send in your questions for Hitsugaya and Hinamori about anything to do with them, or other things too if you like! For this chapter to work, I really need you guys to help out, so _please_?

You can send 1 question, 100 questions, as many or as few as you like! Go nuts! I will read them all, and try to include one from each person! I really hope the next chapter can work out, but I can't do it alone. _Onegaishimasu~_

&. strawberrii


	17. Q Is For Q&A x Part One

A/N: Okay, I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to burn be alive right now; but think! If you did, this chapter would never have come out instead of coming out bajillion of years later! Haha, you guys can yell at me all you like and I am really, really sorry about how late this is! I would really like to be able to say 'in the future, this'll never happen again', but knowing me it will.

I don't want to make it sound like I'm making excuses, but I really _did_ try to write this chapter a while back, except I honestly didn't know how to bring it together. In my head, a Q&A chapter sounded pretty cool, but when I actually had to sit and write it out, I went blank. I had several approaches and various situations but they didn't seem right.

So I've ended up with this: Q is for Q&A will be split into two parts. I hope to put the second part up soon, but no promises. Why is it split in half? Because I think it'd be too long. I felt the need to explain the situation and other details, not to mention the large number of questions, and that just sent the word count flying.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and provided questions, they were very interesting and funny to read and definitely thought-provoking. And once again, I'm sorry for the wait!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

PS: Because of the whole idea of this chapter, quite a lot is going to be in dialogue.

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**Q is for Q&A**

He really didn't understand; what strange being possessed him when he had agreed to this? No, 'agreed' alone wasn't the right word. He had practically been _blackmailed _into agreeing. Of course, not many people could think of something they could use to blackmail the young Taichou, but one person could. And that person was-

"Sorano, you're gonna wish you were dead after this."

The Third-Seat of the Fifth-Division blinked innocently before flashing a cheeky smile.

"I'm sure you don't mean that; besides, I think you'll be too busy _thanking_ me to worry about sending me to my deathbed!"

Behind her, the reluctant Taichou grumbled darkly. The dark haired girl laughed.

"We're almost there!"

She turned around to walk backwards while studying the Taichou's appearance. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed something disconcerting; strapped on Hitsugaya's back was Hyourinmaru. Sorano turned around again and inwardly cringed.

'_Let's hope we don't make him too mad.'_

**

* * *

**

"You think it'll work?"

"Absolutely! I have no doubts about it!"

**

* * *

**

"Ah- Hitsugaya-kun!"

"Taichou; get it right, bed-wetter."

The Fuku-Taichou pouted. That incident was a very, _very_ long time ago, and besides, that wasn't the most important thing to bring up at the moment.

"So Akina-chan got you too?"

The snowy haired Taichou gave one stiff nod.

"Blackmail?"

Another nod.

"Thought so."

"Hey, you two should stop whispering over there!"

The room that had originally only occupied the two childhood friends was now being filled with Taichous and Fuku-Taichous from all divisions. Some of them looked impatient, while others seemed to be bouncing around in excitement. Sorano and Matsumoto quickly made there way towards the two from the back of the room where Matsumoto had called out earlier. The two went to the right side of the room and climbed up a small number of stairs before walking towards the pair again. Then it hit Hitsugaya: they were on a stage.

"What is the meaning of this, Matsumoto?!"

Sorano put a finger to her lips, trying to calm down the Taichou. It earned her a death glare, and she responded by simply looking away towards the audience; they were now seated. Matsumoto let a huge grin spread across her face as she waved to the audience of high ranked shinigami.

"LET'S BEGIN; IT'S Q&A TIME FOR HITSUGAYA TOSHIRO AND HINAMORI MOMO!"

Nemu walked onto the stage quietly and gave Hitsugaya and Hinamori each a bracelet with a strange red stone. In her quiet voice, Nemu asked the two to please put them on before telling them that they were lie detectors and that the red stone would glow if a lie were to be told.

"Eh? Why do we-- Why did you-- I'm so confused!"

The Fuku-Taichou of the Twelfth Division replied softly.

"You wear them so we can see that you're telling the truth, and we made it because each division had to contribute something so Mayuri-sama created this."

"Each division? What could divisions like the First Division and the Eleventh Division provide?" Hinamori asked; she was only innocently curious, but she a hole of fear was starting to form inside her.

Matsumoto quickly answered the question in her always cheerful tone.

"First Division provides the extra paperwork for you two if you're caught to be lying, and--"

"Me and Ken-chan provide candy for the audience!"

"… Yeah."

"Hold on! If every division contributed something to this, what did _our_ divisions contribute?!" Hitsugaya demanded, pointing to himself and then Hinamori, the room temperature seeming to drop just a little.

With a very knowing look on her face, Sorano pointed to herself and then Matsumoto in a way that seemed to be mocking Hitsugaya's previous gesture.

"Fifth Division, Tenth Division. They provided the hosts."

Current room temperature: Zero

**

* * *

**

The asking of the questions began, and it seemed like there would be no end. The people who asked the questions remained anonymous, but it didn't take away any of the fun. There were questions that invoked laughter from the audience, others that caused the two who were being questioned to turn tomato read. Some questions had the audience on the edge of their seats, not breathing. Sorano read out the next questions.

"For Hitsugaya: Why do you get so much paperwork?"

The question was answered with a single glare at Matsumoto.

"For Hinamori: Is there a special story about the cloth thing you wear in your hair?"

Hinamori blinked in surprise; it wasn't a question she'd expected to pop up. She reached up and carefully removed the square of pale green from her hair, letting it fall. The Fuku-Taichou handed the square to the Third-Seat.

"Ah… it was a present from Obaa-san. If you look really carefully, you can see that all the horizontal threads are white and the vertical ones are green. She told me I'm the green thread and I need to find who the white thread is. And when I find him, we'll balance each other out beautifully and perfectly."

Sorano stared at the tiny square in awe. From the distance, the square was a pale green. With close examination, Sorano could see that it really was a mix of a darker green and white. She passed it to Matsumoto's waiting hands.

"So basically, you believe that opposites attracted with a much deeper story than two magnets that stick together?" Sorano asked. The dark haired girl nodded, a small blush coloring her cheeks.

Matsumoto gave the cloth back to Hinamori, and while Hinamori was fixing her hair, the strawberry blonde read out the next few questions.

"For both: How often do you two go out together?"

There was stifled laughter in the audience as Hitsugaya and Hinamori's faces flushed pink in sync. The Fuku-Taichou slowly shook her head meekly, her eyes downcast. At the same time, Hitsugaya seemed to be barely containing his anger, his hand twitching by his side, yearning to grab Hyourinmaru and turn the 'hosts' into shinigami ice cubes. Sorano smirked.

'_Opposites attract indeed.'_

"W- we aren't… together, so we d-don't go out," Hinamori managed to stutter out softly.

The room was dead quiet as everyone waited to see the red jewel light up, for Hinamori's lie to be exposed. The silence dragged on as people refused to break it, rejecting the possibility that the dark eyed girl's words were the truth. Renji, who was next to Mayuri, elbowed him gently. Without even needing to talk because the question was evident in his eyes, Mayuri's eyes narrowed before he merely shrugged. The silence ended with a cough from Matsumoto.

"Shall we move on then?" Matsumoto said cheerfully, while Sorano muttered quietly under her breath about how big a let down that question was.

"For Hitsugaya: Do you have _any_ free time?"

"Of course I do!"

The red stone from the tensai's wrist started to light up like a siren without the sound. Laughter bounced around the room as Hitsugaya directed the deadliest glare to grace a shinigami's eyes towards Matsumoto, the reason why he had no free time. Sorano quickly jumped up, waving her arms animatedly.

"Ah! So _that's _why you two never go out! It's because you can't! So basically… you two _would_ go out if only Hitsugaya-Taichou had some spare time. Matsumoto!"

The Fuku-Taichou's face twisted in pain before she gave a reluctant nod; there would be no sake for her for quite a while now.

"Akina-chan! You're jumping to conclusions! I told you that we're not… _together_," Hinamori's voice faltered ever so slightly on the last word as she fought hard to keep the pink from staining her cheeks.

The Third Seat shook her finger in a very knowing way, eyes closed to make the gesture look even more significant. Dark brown eyes shot wide open before an evil looking smile appeared on her face. Hinamori seemed to shrink before her Third-Seat.

"But I bet if Hitsugaya-Taichou had free time, he_ would_ have asked you out already and then you two _would _be together and you _would _be going out and we _wouldn't_ have to use this as an opportunity to--"

"Ahem!" Matsumoto cut in, very much on purpose, "For Hinamori: Are you jealous of Hitsugaya's fangirls?"

"I- I… N--" Hinamori started to stutter yet again, the red flooding back to her face for the fiftieth time that day. She then looked down at her wrist, knowing that there was no point in lying if it would just get exposed the next second. With a defeated look on her face, the Fuku-Taichou whispered quietly: "Yes…"

Sorano jumped up again, her arms almost invisible because of the rate she was flailing them around, speaking gibberish. After a minute, she started to settle down and Sorano cleared her throat dramatically.

"So, what do you have to say to that, Hitsugaya-Taichou?"

"… I have fangirls?"

For a child prodigy, the young Taichou could sure be dense at times.

**

* * *

**

More questions were fired at the pair, but it seemed like the two had adjusted quite a bit. Questions were answered quickly and honestly, with minor flashes of embarrassment here and there. While everything seemed to be going quite smoothly, there were still some questions that caused problems.

"For Hitsugaya: Will you ever get any taller?"

Twitch.

Instinctively, the two hosts put there hands up in front of themselves defensively, preparing for the worst case scenario. However, the Taichou's momentary anger subsided as he replied to the question calmly.

"I don't know if I'll grow any taller, but I hope I can."

"Well, the person who asked this question suggested milk if nothing else works--"

Twitch.

Sorano flinched unconsciously; it seemed like a normal enough reaction, given the circumstances. She opened her mouth but no words seemed to come out. Sorano wanted to speak so she could eradicate the heavy mood, but she seemed frozen. Instead, Hitsugaya was the one to speak first.

"Thank you for the advice."

His words seemed to send a cold breeze through the room. Matsumoto, while shivering, read out the next question that seemed to thaw out everyone but the pair of childhood friends.

"For Hinamori: Would you ever cheat on Hitsugaya?"

"B- but, we're not together!"

"Well, if you _were_, would you?"

"Eh?!"

Matsumoto let out a short laugh. "Sorry, couldn't resist. Your answer, Hinamori?"

"N-no."

Hitsugaya and Hinamori shared a small smile while Matsumoto took a sip from the glass or water she had requested earlier, due to the clawing thirst from talking non-stop. Sorano whipped out the next question.

"For Hitsugaya: Would you ever kill Matsumoto one day?"

Matsumoto spit out the mouthful of water she had just drank in surprise, all over the top half of her Taichou's clothes. Now it was Sorano's turn to enjoy a short laugh.

"Sorry, couldn't resist."

Unohana and Isane walked hurriedly onto the stage, offering towels and such to the young Taichou. Thanking the two, Hitsugaya attempted to dry himself, but to no avail. With no other option except let the mixture of water and Matsumoto saliva sink into his skin, Hitsugaya removed the top half of his shinigami outfit and casually draped the towel that Unohana had offered across his back and over his shoulders. Hinamori let out a tiny gasp before looking away and turning redder than Renji's hair. Hitsugaya, trying not to notice the people around him and his own appearance, then pretended to ponder the question for a moment before answering.

"Yeah, I probably will."

Matsumoto stared at the red stone on Hitsugaya's wrist anxiously. It didn't light up. The Third-Seat, who figured she'd had enough entertainment at Matsumoto's expense, decided to pull out the next question.

"For Hitsugaya: What's your most embarrassing moment?"

"…Embarassing…moment?"

Not a single soul seemed to be breathing. Hitsugaya closed his eyes, trying to think back carefully and pick out a moment in his life where the word 'embarrassed' wasn't enough to convey what he had felt. His emerald eyes opened again.

"My most embarrassing moment was probably…"

* * *

A/N: And it ends here, for now! Would one consider that to be a cliffhanger? Part two of Q&A will be next, so don't worry!

See what I mean by long? I still haven't covered over half the questions i got, so I'm apologizing in advance if I don't use your questions! I'm trying to include at least one from everyone who asked! (:

I had a friend convince me to push on with this chapter and actually finish it, so she read the beginning bit that I had managed to write and she asked me 'Who's Sorano?' ... And I think that that's an important question I should answer briefly here:

Sorano Akina is an OC in my other story 'Spread Your Wings'. Generally she's kinda crazy and happy all the time and she's kinda like Matsumoto now that I think about it. She's the Third Seat of the Fifth Division, so she's really close with Hinamori and they were friends in their academy days. Of course, she can be serious when she needs to, but she doesn't need to in this story. ;D I just thought adding her to this chapter would be a unique touch.

Until next time, bye!

&. strawberrii


	18. Q Is For Q&A x Part Two

A/N: I'm alive guys, I'm still alive! Once again, I'm _so_ sorry about how late this is. I'm sure you guys are all getting tired of hearing me apologize ne?

I wouldn't be surprised if a number of you were thinking that I've given up on this story, so I'm gonna put it out there clearly in black and white:

_I will not give up on this story until it is complete_d

There, I said it! (: Even if I update once a year (eek, let's hope not) I will get to the letter Z! It's a promise ~

Thank you to readers and reviewers for supporting me for all this time and not giving up on me! It means the world to me~ I'm sorry if I missed out on replying some reviews; I lose track of who I've replied to and who I haven't ^^; Oh, and also, replies to anonymous reviewers; I've never done this before (BAD STRAWBERRII D:) but I will from now on:

formylittleballofbubblyspaz: Lol, thanks for the review; I've already talked to you about it on msn, so no need to say too much here

cookiedough: Glad you liked the 'fight' haiku; I had a lot of fun writing it too. Haha, hope you didn't wake anyone up!

nonamemanga: I did mention that writing angst-y stories weren't my forte, I'm sorry about the poor ending.

Hayai-Akurei: My awesome reviewer who always brightens my day! Gee, this is my first time actually replying to you ne? Thank you for allllll the reviews you've left me all this time. It has been quite a while, but I'm back! I've been well~ And thanks for all the ideas for 'R' already.

anna: Thanks for all the reviews, I'm glad some chapters made you laugh!

Disclaimer: Kubo Tite = Creator of Bleach

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**Q is for Q&A**

_Previously…_

_"For Hitsugaya: What's your most embarrassing moment?"_

_"…Embarassing…moment?_"

**

* * *

**

"My most embarrassing moment was probably…"

You could've dropped a pin and been able to hear it; the room was deathly quiet as the (still topless) Hitsugaya pondered.

"I don't think I have an embarrassing moment; I'm too cautious to let anything unexpected get me into an awkward situation."

The silence was broken with a uproar from the audience, as well as the two hosts. Everyone began talking, shouting, yelling at once that no one specific comment was able to be heard; only an incoherent mix of everything. Hitsugaya raised his hands to his ears to block the sound out.

"Anou ne…"

The dark-eyed girl's tiny voice was barely audible amongst the noise, but with Matsumoto and Sorano's persistent yells of 'Silence!' while jumping up and down on stage, they got where they wanted eventually. Sorano settled back into her seat and spoke to Hinamori.

"Sorry about that Hinamori Fuku-Taichou. You have something to say? Ah! It can't be that you're offering to tell us about _your_ embarrassing moment?"

Hinamori waved her hands in front of herself, shaking her head madly.

"N-no! It's nothing like that. I just thought I'd share with everyone a moment that Shiro-chan might've forgotten about."

"It's Hitsugaya-_Taichou_ and what are you talking about, bed-wetter?"

The Fuku-Taichou ignored the insult, knowing that sweet revenge was just around the corner. In her soft voice, Hinamori quickly explained to everyone the friendly relationship she and Hitsugaya had when they were young. She explained how they had been inseparable since they first met, but both held a certain amount of entertainment from teasing the other. The crowd listened in silence, but each and every member of the audience were thinking the same thing: those two were meant to be.

"Well, one day Hitsugaya went over the line. It was the morning of my birthday and I was still asleep. In fact, I think I would've slept for quite a bit longer if I hadn't experienced an unpleasant surprise."

From the other side of the table, everyone could hear a small chuckle escape the Taichou's lips; if only he still remembered what Hinamori was getting at.

"I woke up to a bucketful of icy cold water poured _all_ over me, but mostly on my face, and a smirking little boy with white hair. I don't think anyone could imagine how loudly I yelled at him at that moment. Of course, that immature little child just ran out of the room calling out 'bed-wetter' at the top of his lungs."

"Oi, who'd you just call an immature little child?"

Hinamori continued on like she hadn't heard; a small, almost nonexistent, smile on her face.

"After that, I really had no choice but to get up. I quickly went and had a shower and washed my hair. But when I squeezed the shampoo out from the container, I stared at its green colour for a long time. In fact, did unconsciously. However, it was then when a plan for revenge was formed."

Hitsugaya frowned; why did he have no recollection of any of this happening?

"I took the shampoo with me when I left the bathroom, and I snuck into Hitsugaya's room and took a plain white t-shirt. I asked Obaa-san for some coloured dye. I dyed the t-shirt yellow, and crisscrossed all over it in a brown marker. Next I poured a heap of green dye into the shampoo bottle and placed it back in the shower."

The prodigy's frown deepened. Everything sounded vaguely familiar, but he had yet to remember how this day had ended.

"The thing about white hair is that it's rather easy to change its colour. When Hitsugaya went to shower, I took his normal blue t-shirt away and replaced it with my yellow one. Being the last minute boy he was, he took his shower just moments before my birthday party. The party commenced normally. All my friends were there, a few relatives; even a small handful of Hitsugaya's friends showed up. Strangely though, Hitsugaya was absent for this whole time."

Hinamori's tiny smile had grown into a grin. Hitsugaya's frown had become a look of pure horror. Sorano and Matsumoto's faces wore the same look of eagerness; they wanted to hear the conclusion of this story.

"When the time came to open my presents, Obaa-san announced that a very special present for me. Behind her followed a reluctant, bright-red Hitsugaya. Obaa-san seemed to be trying to keep a serious face when she said her present to me… was my very own pineapple."

"Hinamori! So you were the one behind it all?!"

The whole audience laughed heartily as Hitsugaya's face started to glow red. He crossed his arms in front of himself like a child and looked away from the audience, simmering in his own anger and embarrassment. The blush appeared to be a mixture of both emotions. Hinamori started begging for forgiveness, but she couldn't stop laughing while doing so. The Taichou's eye twitched repeatedly as the dark-eyed girl apologized. Eventually, he gave in and gave everyone an unwilling glance as if to say 'next question'.

"Okay, okay. For Hinamori: Have you ever thought about making Hitsugaya jealous, just to see what would happen?"

The Hinamori that had been speaking non-stop previously was now mute. Sorano made a gesture, pointing at her left wrist like she was wearing a watch; no doubt she was trying to get Hinamori to answer quickly.

"I- I had never considered it before. But one day Rangiku-san suggested it to me and-."

"You _have_ been thinking about it?"

Hinamori nodded meekly. The Third-Seat of the Fifth Division and the strawberry blonde woman next to her shared a quick smile and a small nod. They spoke no more about the question, choosing to move onto the next one. Matsumoto cleared her throat dramatically.

"For Hitsugaya: What kind of drunk are you?"

"Excuse me?"

Matsumoto waved her hand airily.

"You know when you get drunk, what do you do? Are you the singing kind of drunk, sleeping kind of drunk like me, stripping kind of drunk like Kira… which one?"

"I've never been drunk before, so I wouldn't know." (A/N: Do I sense foreshadowing for a future chapter idea? :D)

Sorano literally jumped out of her seat.

"How is it possible that you be in the same division as Matsumoto and have never had alcohol before? Heck, the first day I met her she made me drink with her! Hinamori was there too if I remember correctly; you had a sip, and then you passed out!"

"It was my first time!"

"Mhmm, next question! For Both: What's one word you would use to describe each other? Wow, that's deep question. Your thoughts, Hinamori? Hitsugaya?"

Turquoise eyes closed, Hitsugaya spoke in a loud voice.

"Isn't that too easy? Bed-wetter."

"Pineapple!"

"What was that, bed-wetter?"

"Okay, guys! Cut it out!" Sorano exclaimed, waving a hand between the two who seemed to be having a somewhat friendly staring competition, although in Hitsugaya's case it was more like glaring competition. "Be serious!"

The two grudgingly broke the eye-contact as they started to think.

"Water."

Hinamori turned to look at her childhood friend. She sent a playful glare at him, linking the concept of water with bed-wetter. Hitsugaya simply rolled his eyes; that wasn't _exactly_ what he was thinking of. Matsumoto asked her Taichou to elaborate.

"Water is normally calm, gentle; it's transparent in its intentions. Hinamori is also usually composed and kind, her consistent honesty and trustworthiness is translucent. When storms occur, and thunder and lighting disrupt the tranquility, water can go into rage and at the same time become extraordinarily powerful. Water can extinguish the wildest flames, rust solid iron, and even carve its way into mountains given time. That's what I see Hinamori as."

"Shelter."

Without skipping a beat, Hinamori began to explain. She felt warm inside after hearing Hitsugaya's words and she felt she had an obligation to repay him.

"Something that is unshakable, and always there. It shields you at all times, through even the most violent of gales. It is not judgmental; its door there for you to open at anytime when you need. They give you time, and help you find reason. They support you when the going gets tough. They protect you. They nurture you until you yourself are powerful enough. And when you are, the time will come when you will protect the shelter."

Matsumoto had already pointed out how she had thought the question to be a very meaningful one, and extremely thought provoking at that. She hadn't expected to get two replies that rivaled each other in that very area. These two young shinigami definitely had a way with their tongues; Matsumoto couldn't help but sit in silent admiration for a few long seconds.

"For Hitsugaya: Can you DDR?

"DiamondDust Rebellion?"

"Gee Hitsugaya-Taichou, for a tensai you are so uneducated in the world of technology. Dance Dance Revolution. That game in arcade-like areas with the four arrows that you step on?"

"I've never tried, but if it's only four arrows, I think I would manage."

Sorano grinned.

"Matsumoto, next time you two go to the human world, make sure to video Hitsugaya's first attempt at DDR; it'll go down in Soul Society history."

"Are you implying that I'd fail at it, Sorano?"

Sorano shook her head, the grin never leaving her face. She let her eyes wander to the far wall as she studied the clock that was hanging there. Time was running out; they had only a few minutes to wrap this up, and to make sure that the _true _purpose of this Q&A session was met. The Third-Seat gave Matsumoto a grim look, but the strawberry-blonde Fuku-Taichou waved it off. Sorano raised an eyebrow; perhaps Matsumoto had come up with an idea that would salvage the situation?

"We're gonna end this soon; Sorano and I have to go do something. But before the time comes for that… For Hitsugaya: Have you ever liked anyone?"

Sometimes Sorano couldn't believe how brilliant her blue-eyed friend was. This was it; they were getting closer and closer to the conclusion that they had wanted.

"Well, I- uh…"

Hitsugaya had turned red again. No doubt this was another embarrassing Hitsugaya moment that wouldn't be forgotten by anyone in the room. Hinamori looked up, a bit too eagerly to be just curious. She too, had a tiny bit of red splashed on her cheeks.

"I- I guess I have… I mean- You know, most people have liked someone before…"

The Taichou's voice trailed off, feeling like he had said too much. He winced inwardly as he thought of the onslaught of questions that would be triggered by his reply. Surprisingly though, Sorano quickly took the spotlight off of Hitsugaya, sparing him.

"Hinamori, previously you had mentioned that you have considered making little Hitsugaya here jealous to see his reaction. Why would you do that? What purpose would that serve?"

"Wh- What do you mean?"

"Why would you want to make Hitsugaya jealous?"

"I- I don't know what you mean."

Matsumoto cut in, bringing the spotlight back to Hitsugaya. The transition from Sorano-Hinamori to Matsumoto-Hitsugaya was so smooth that it was like they had prepared for this moment a long time ago.

"And Taichou, I agree that most people have liked someone before. However, you are an interesting case. The icy aura you always have around you doesn't seem to lead many to believe you could harbor feelings of like, or love, as the situation might be. Who might this interesting lady who has stolen your heart be?"

"What do you mean stolen my heart!? I just… like her!"

"A-ha! Your heart is _still_ stolen, meaning that you _still_ like this girl. I would assume that this girl has stolen your heart for quite a while too. Who is she? Does she happen to be in this room?"

"I- Matsumoto-!"

The changeover happened again, all too smoothly, all too quickly.

"If a girl has a desire to make a boy jealous, there are limited reasons as to why they'd do it. After Matsumoto suggested the possibility, you've most likely have been non-stop thinking about it."

"I just thought it'd be interesting to see Shiro-chan's reaction."

"Ah, but why? The only reactions you would get are jealousy, or a cold-shoulder. Isn't attempting to make Hitsugaya-Taichou jealous just a quick way to find out… if he likes you?"

Matsumoto spoke again, as Sorano sank back into her seat. They moved in synch.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro! Do you or do you not like the dark-haired girl who is currently sitting next to you? Do you deny that you've liked her since your days in Rukongai?"

Both Hinamori and Hitsugaya stood up simultaneously. Her eyes squeezed shut, Hinamori banged her hands on the table as she spoke loudly at the same time Hitsugaya tilted his head backwards to look at the ceiling, choosing to avoid eye contact with anyone.

"I love Hitsugaya-kun!"

"I don't deny it! The girl is Hinamori!"

Silence.

Then unstoppable cheering.

"Hey, now that we've actually established that you both love each other, we've still got the hardest question left to ask! Matsumoto?"

The Fuku-Taichou grinned widely.

"Hinamori, how much do you love Taichou?"

There was a long pause while the young Fuku-Taichou pondered about it deeply. It was an immeasurable amount of love that they were trying to make her confess; nothing seemed like it could convey that vast amount. She needed something that would practically never end. That was when it hit her. Hinamori let a small smile grace her lips.

"My love for Hitsugaya-kun is as great as the distance from where I am standing to the furthest place in this universe."

Both Matsumoto and Sorano seemed awed at the confession. Sorano gave Matsumoto a single look and the Fuku-Taichou knew exactly what the Third-Seat wanted.

"Well, that's a lot of love. So how are you going to respond to that Taichou?"

Hitsugaya's response connected straight on after the words had left Matsumoto's mouth; it was as if he had known how to reply to this for his whole life.

"My love for Hinamori is as great as the distance from where I am standing to the furthest place in this universe…"

The prodigy moved to stand opposite Hinamori. He raised a single hand and gently caressed her cheek, letting a small smile of his own spread across his face before two more whispered words:

"and back."

* * *

A/N: And that's the end of the letter Q (: It seems like its been YEARS since I've asked my readers for suggestions. Ideas for R are greatly welcome; I have a tiny idea about what I might write already, but I'd still love to hear from you!

Also, I'm sorry if this chapter didn't live up to expectations; it was rather dull, un-funny and long. But hey, at least I got it out there? ^^" Also, the next update will either be towards the end of next month, or when I hit 285 reviews; just giving myself some time either way to concentrate on studies, haha~ Oh, and of course think of an _epic _plot for 'R' ~ ;)

Oh, and the ending of this chapter? This wasn't the actual ending I had planned, but I thought it'd be nice to cut off there. For those who are interested, I'll be adding the extended ending (where Sorano explains a very simple something) underneath. Enjoy? :)

* * *

**_Extended Ending to Q&A_**

_The two moved even closer to each other as a tiny, tiny whisper, only audible to Hitsugaya pierced through the quiet  
_

_"Told you you'd thank me for this eventually." _

_But Hitsugaya's smirk was lost in a kiss filled with love which spanned to a location beyond this world._

* * *

A/N: The End~

Until November (or 285), BYE~ Oh, oh, click the pretty button underneath please? (:

&. strawberrii


	19. R Is For Remember

A/N: So, just how long has it been? Bet you all really did think I was dead. Wouldn't be all too surprised xD To prove my 'aliveness', this is a very short chapter. It is... pretty depressing actually, I'm gonna call it angst, but nothing too hardcore :P No need to get a tissue box ready, but I hope you all enjoy! It is pretty short though, I apologize for that.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, nor its characters, though sometimes I wish I did

* * *

**The HitsuHina Alphabet**

**R is for Remember**

It took all he had to open the drawer he had sealed so many months back, the very drawer he had purposely avoided during his every day life since the event. In it, he had stashed everything he ever had that reminded him of _her_. She was gone now. Not just gone on a mission, but really gone, never to come back. Thinking that made his heart throb painfully in his chest, almost constricting his breathing. How could this be reality? How could it be true that he had just returned from her final resting place, whispering to a mere stone three words he had never gotten to tell her in person?

It really did take everything he had. The drawer slid open soundlessly as he peered into its contents with pained eyes. A picture of a young girl with her hair tied in pigtails, happily eating a slice of watermelon. The uniform from the Shinigami academy that he had worn back in the day, neatly folded. A pale green cloth that she had once left in his office after having to rush off to her own division after a brief visit. And so much more. But his eyes fell upon one object that was slightly less familiar to him than the rest: a pale pink envelope, still sealed delicately with a peach sticker. He had first found it placed in the center of his desk when he had returned from the cursed battle, where he refused to even look at the envelope in his grief. Even now, just seeing it made him clench his fists tightly by his sides, fighting back the tears that would betray his stony façade.

He picked it up slowly and gently, as if he was afraid that by touching it, the envelope would simply fade into non-existence. Taking in a deep breath, he carefully pulled the sticker away and opened the envelope. It was exactly what he thought it would be- a letter in her flawless script. As he pulled out the sheet slowly, the entire message was unveiled to him.

* * *

_Dear Shiro-chan,_

_The last time I saw you face to face was the time I had pointed my blade towards you. The last time I spoke to you was when I begged you to save Aizen. The last time you saw me face to face was when you visited me while I was recovering. The last time you spoke to me was when you teased me about the bags under my eyes._

_Do you remember these details as well as I do? Who am I kidding; you probably remember these details even more than I do. Why is it that these final memories that you have of me are so horrible, so disgusting? Why is it that the final memories that I have of you so kind and heartwarming? I guess I really don't have much to say; compared to you, I- I don't even know._

_I know where you are right now, and I know what your goal is. I'm aware that my words will manipulate you, the you who is all too kind at heart. I will correct my wrongs, and I will join Seireitei in defeating the one true enemy who I've learnt to accept: Aizen Sousuke. I've heard whispers of his strength and the brute power his army has, and I am sure that my abilities will be an almost pointless addition... but I am willing to give my life for this cause, the right cause._

_So Shiro-chan, if by some chance I live, this letter will probably never reach you; I'll have intercepted it by now. But since you've read this far, I guess that... I guess that I lived a good life, a happy life. I got to know people like Rukia, Renji and Kira. I got to meet people like Ichigo and Orihime. I managed to rise to the ranks of Fuku-Taichous like Isane, Iba and Nanao. But most of all, I was able to get close to you. And for you, the one I feel the most close to, I do not want to leave you with the memories I mentioned earlier. But what is there left for me to do? I cannot come back to create something new for you to remember me by, nor can I just erase that part of your memory. I have but one request then:_

_Remember._

_Remember back earlier than that. Remember the times we played hide-and-seek with grandma and the times we shared watermelons. Remember the times when we went to the academy and you left your bento at home, having to find me to share mine. Remember the times when our squads were sent out on the same mission, and we fought back to back. Remember the way we used to secretly exchange smiles as we walked down the halls. Remember the way I'd always find time to visit you, even if it was for the shortest moment. Remember how every year, I'd be the first to wish you a happy birthday. Remember how much I cared for you, but not in the way that one would care for a younger brother like you most likely thought._

_Hitsugaya Toushiro, I love you. I don't know to what extent the phrase 'it's never too late' can cover, but in a way, I'm so glad to have finally told you what I had kept quiet for so long._

_Thank you for everything, and goodbye. Please, always __remember__ me._

_From, "Bed-wetter" Momo_

* * *

He slowly slid the letter back into the envelope, and placed it back in the drawer, his fingers lingering for just a moment.

"I love you too, Hinamori Momo."

And the first of his tears began to slide down his cheeks.

* * *

**A/N: PLEASE READ~**

So although it's been a long time, I'm back and will hopefully get another update done within the next month! Just a quick reminder that these stories are all one-shots in themselves, meaning that Hinamori's 'death' here will not carry on into the later chapters unless I write a sequel (which I doubt; writing angst is tough for me). So once again, if you still remember the drill! Send in your ideas for the next letter, 'S', and I shall credit where it is due :)


End file.
